We spent a few days this week camping, hiking, and kayaking in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park near the small town of Lac la Biche, about two and a half hours northeast of Edmonton, Alberta. When I read that the Portage College campus in Lac la Biche is home to the Museum of Aboriginal Peoples’ Art & Artifacts, I knew that we had to go into town to see it. I recognized the names of well-known artists like Bill Reid, Alex Janvier, and Norval Morrisseau and was eager to see their work.

Arriving at the college, I expected to find a gallery showcasing the works of these and other Indigenous artists. Instead, the extensive collection of traditional and contemporary works lines the hallways of the school and we were free to wander and enjoy them. With only one class in session while we were there, it was as quiet and serene as any traditional gallery would have been.

The Portage College museum features the world’s only permanent collection of works by the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., also informally known as the Indian Group of Seven. The group was formed in 1972 after a series of gatherings in Daphne Odjig’s craft store and gallery in Manitoba and later incorporated as an attempt to be taken seriously as professional artists and to advocate for Indigenous art to viewed as fine art and to be included in galleries across the nation. The museum on the Portage College campus began in 1978 as a teaching collection for the college’s Native Arts and Culture programs and grew from there.

While I was impressed by most of what we saw, amongst the Group of Seven it was the work of Eddy Cobiness (1933-1996) that really stood out to me. Cobiness, of Ojibway descent, was born in Minnesota and raised on a reserve in Manitoba. Though I had not heard of him before, his art is held in many prominent private and public collections.

These three colourful designs by Jackson Beardy also caught my attention, probably because their style is somewhat similar to that of the Indigenous artists of the Northwest Coast that I love so much.

In addition to showcasing the work of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., the museum also features Northwest Coast and Inuit art. Bill Reid (1920-1998), was a prolific Haida artist, perhaps best known by many for his giant sculpture “Spirit of Haida Gwaii” on display in the international departures area of the Vancouver airport.

Other coastal artists whose work is on display in Lac la Biche include Tony Hunt Sr. (1942-2017) who was the hereditary chief of the Kwa-Gluth people and Robert Davidson who is of Haida and Tlingit descent.

I thought this piece by Richard Shorty of the Tuchone Kwanlin Dun First Nation in the Yukon was absolutely exquisite. According to Northwest Coast tradition, the hummingbird represents love and beauty.

In addition to the framed work lining the corridors of Portage College, there are numerous glass cases containing carvings, baskets, beadwork, ceremonial clothing, moccasins and mukluks, headdresses, masks and more. Due to the reflective quality of the glass, it was difficult to get good photos, but I did manage to get one of this perfectly preserved Mi’kmaq porcupine quilled basket from the late 1700s or early 1800s.

While I was thrilled to be able to spend a couple of hours enjoying this amazing collection of Indigenous art and artifacts, it saddens me that it’s hidden away in a remote location where few Canadians or visitors to our country will ever have the opportunity to see it.