We care for approximately 18,000 objects of Indigenous origin. These objects date from the mid-1800s to the present. As the collection grows, we work with Indigenous people to ensure that contemporary as well as historic experiences are represented in the collections and in our displays.

The collection holds great meaning for originating communities. We work with cultural knowledge holders to make sure that the collection is cared for in a culturally sensitive and respectful way.

The collection's areas of greatest strength are:

• Nêhiyawak (Plains Cree)
• Niitsitapi (Blackfoot)
• Dene
• Métis

RAM commits to building strong, respectful relationships with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities and honouring their connections to these ancestral and sacred belongings.

Care

Guided by the advice of knowledge-holders, ceremonialists and Elders, RAM staff only minimally handle ancestral belongings. We house sacred and ceremonial objects in a special place within the collection area where they will not be disturbed.

Access

RAM is committed to facilitating access to the Indigenous collection we care for, and part of this is providing private spaces and supplies for collections visitors wishing to smudge.

Elders and knowledge-keepers have shared protocols on how to handle, care for, and provide access to cultural belongings. In certain circumstances, they have requested that visitors seeking to access these ancestral belongings provide additional information or be accompanied by an elder or ceremonialist while visiting these objects. The museum upholds these requests out of respect for the knowledge and protocols that have been shared with us.

Contact

For donations, inquiries, or to arrange a visit, please submit this contact form.