Okanagan Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

Okanagan Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts

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    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

      Other form(s) of name

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        Description area

        Dates of existence

        1941-

        History

        The Okanagan Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts (OSRIAC) was formed in 1941 to ‘stimulate and record authentic native arts, legends, songs, dances, and dramatic art amongst the Okanagan Indians, compile a schedule and pictorial record of authentic pictographs and petroglyphs, encourage ethnological studies among young Indians, arrange exhibits of Indian arts, crafts, and drama, guide the efforts of Indians so that their products have real artistic and market value, keep in touch with similar organizations in Canada and the United States of America, facilitate advanced studies in cases of pupils showing outstanding ability where such study should have to take place outside of the reserve, and publish leaflets, books, and articles in harmony with the work of the society’. The society was formed primarily to supplement work being done by Alice Ravenhill of the Victoria Society for the Furtherance of BC Indian Arts and Crafts and to assist Anthony Walsh in promoting the interests of his pupils at the Inkameep Indian Day School on the Osoyoos Indian Reserve. Eventually one of the pupils, Sis-hu-ulk, had his artwork displayed at exhibitions in London, Paris, Vienna, Prague, Dublin, and across Canada. Other students gave an open-air dramatic performance on the occasion of the opening of Thunderbird Park in Victoria, as well as plays, songs, and dance performances in the Okanagan. Anthony Walsh resigned in 1942 and the society was instrumental, after a period of two years, in urging the appointment of another teacher with improved living quarters. Unfortunately, no effort was made to re-establish the creative work that had been initiated by Mr. Walsh. From that point on, the society broadened its activities by writing a brief entitled ‘Native Canadians – A Plan for the Rehabilitation of Indians’, submitting it to the BC premier in 1944. The following publicity resulted in briefs being submitted by OSRIAC in 1946 to the federal Joint Committee appointed to examine and consider the Indian Act.

        Places

        Osoyoos, British Columbia

        Legal status

        Functions, occupations and activities

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        Internal structures/genealogy

        General context

        Relationships area

        Access points area

        Subject access points

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        Control area

        Authority record identifier

        Institution identifier

        Osoyoos Museum Society

        Rules and/or conventions used

        Status

        Final

        Level of detail

        Full

        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Created December 9, 2009

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