Picturing Family : Métis Life in the Walla Walla Valley -- Exhibit and events

September 3-December 6, 2024

 You might want to put Walla Walla on your travel schedule this fall. There’s an exhibit at the Sheehan Gallery on the Whitman College Campus that you don’t want to miss if you’re a Frenchtown History buff.

 This large exhibit combines family photos of the Métis (mixed Indigenous and French Canadian) population of the Umatilla Indian Reservation at the turn of the 20th century with contemporary art made and collected by descendants of these same families at the turn of the 21st century. 

The show is the latest chapter in an ongoing collaboration between Frenchtown family historians and faculty, students, and staff from Whitman College. New policies allow donors to collaborate with institutional archives to preserve and share significant materials without giving up ownership or copyright. The exhibit highlights the first collection in the Whitman College and Northwest Archives to be created in this model. Through monumental projection, family stories, and historical documents, Picturing Family offers an immersive and emotional introduction to this important collection. 

Events:

Friday, September 13 at 4 pm : Panel Discussion with Joey Lavadour, Sam Pambrun, and Sarah Hurlburt in Olin Auditorium, followed by a reception in the gallery.  Free and open to the public.

Monday, September 30 at 4 pm : Panel Discussion with Mari Sams Tester, Judith Duffy Fortney, Jeanine Gordon, and special guests about the impact of American boarding schools in Olin auditorium, in honor of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

There are several other possible events in the works, so keep an eye on your email for announcements of further programming. You can also browse the digital archive Métis Families of the Columbia River Plateau Collection or view just the pictures found in the exhibition. Make no mistake, however — this show is much more than the sum of its pictures.

SHEEHAN GALLERY is free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 12:00-5:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 12:00-4:00pm. 

Tours are also available by appointment — email: kiefelks@whitman.edu with visit requests.

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But wait — there’s more! Well, there will be more. Frenchtown Historical Foundation has been busy this summer. Stay tuned for updates on new signage at the site, and grand plans afoot for more. I’m afraid we’ll also need to be asking for your help, so look for us in the Valley Giving Guide 2024.