News
May 3, 2024
Misko-Aki: Navigating Excellence in Cultural Exhibitions
Congratulations to Our Misko-Aki Team
Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures was made a recipient of the nationally prestigious Canadian Museums Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions and was the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario's Indigenous Tourism Award Finalist.
Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures was created by a collaborative team that included Indigenous elders, scholars, linguists, artists, and graphic designers. “Visitors will be taken on a seven-stop metaphoric canoe journey through the region, from the arrival of Indigenous peoples at the end of the last ice age to their adaptation as societies and nations to the changing environment, colonial engagement, and contemporary times.”
In 2020, Lord Cultural Resources was invited by Tim Johnson to join a team to develop the Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures exhibit, with extensive consultation and collaboration with the seven Indigenous Nations connected to the Muskoka region. Our partners WeatherstonBruer Associates did the exhibition design, drawing on the rich natural beauty and cultures of the region.
We’ve worked with the Centre since 2014, when we were first commissioned to develop a Master Plan, keeping long-term sustainability firmly in view. The goals of the new exhibit spaces were to help the Centre become a more vibrant and relevant cultural hub for the community, tell the story of Muskoka’s diverse cultural and natural heritage with a renewed appreciation toward Indigenous cultures and traditions, and preserve its unique marine history. The three new exhibits, which will tell the story of Muskoka from a national context, include The Transformative Steam Era, Muskoka Past Present and Future, and Misko-Aki: Confluence of Cultures. These exhibits will entertain, inform and engage residents and tourists of all age groups, add vitality to the region and enhance the presence of the Muskoka Discovery Centre as an exciting must-visit attraction.