Making room for more artifacts

LIVERPOOL - Soon the public will have the chance to see artifacts from the E’se’get  Archeology Project at Sipuke’l Gallery in Liverpool.
An informal opening is scheduled to happen from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 19 as part of Mi’kmaq History Month.
“Basically, (we’re) inviting the public to come in and see (the artifacts) for the first time,” said Heather Doane, curator of the gallery, which is located downstairs in the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.
The selection of artifacts is coming from the Nova Scotia Museum’s E’se’get Archeology Project.
The project was a partnership with the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Acadia First Nation, the University of New Brunswick and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
Former premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October Mi’kmaq History Month in 1993.
The idea behind the month is to help all Nova Scotians in “increasing their knowledge and awareness of Mi’kmaw culture, history and heritage,” says the Mi’kmaq History Month website.
This year, the theme is Innovations and Legacies.
Acadia First Nation owns and runs the Sipuke’l Gallery gallery, which opened in June 2015.
The gallery houses items from private collections, fine art and crafts by First Nations artists and crafters, and a gift shop, said Doane.   
“I decided to go with the art gallery because we already have a museum in the town,” said Judy Boutilier, cultural officer for Acadian First Nation.
Boutilier said she’s pleased with how the gallery has been doing since it opened. She said in addition to some local artists, there are artists from Ontario and an artist from Newfoundland. The gallery is always looking for more artists, added Boutilier.
“Our gift shop, we have grown that quite a bit in the past year,” she said.

If you go: Sipuke’l Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and is located at 219 Main St., Liverpool