This document summarizes several projects related to rural community engagement (RCE). It discusses ecomuseums in Saskatchewan and their role in fostering sustainability and engaging communities. It outlines key findings from research on three ecomuseums, including the importance of community partnerships. It also discusses efforts to engage youth and connect schools to ecomuseums. Another project examines feral and rare horse breeds in Canada and their cultural significance. A potential ecomuseum focused on the Lac La Croix Indigenous Pony is mentioned. Finally, the document outlines a project to improve education for indigenous youth through sustainable development approaches.

1. RCE related projects
Dr. Adela Tesarek Kincaid
RCE Saskatchewan
University of Regina

2. Ecomuseums: Project 1
 Ecomuseums are community-based organizations that respond to local needs
in ways that foster sustainability. They help guide and develop democratic
projects that focus on connections to local history and heritage, which may
include local physical geographic features, natural resources, natural habitats
and agricultural practices.
 Ecomuseums – working with Dr. Glenn Sutter from the Royal Saskatchewan
Museum

3. Key findings and recommendations from
research on three ecomuseums
 Community partnerships between organizations that lead to collaborations and
trusting relationships are imperative to a healthy functioning ecomuseum
 Continued and further Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) leadership to improve
the connections between the Saskatchewan Ecomuseum Network (SEN), the
Saskatchewan Ecomuseum Partnership (SEP), and active or emerging ecomuseums
(regular and frequent communication)
 Create opportunities for RSM and SEP to support the process of connecting local
schools to ecomuseums (youth engagement)
 SEP in partnership with UofR and other organizations to identify (support) how to
build relationships with Indigenous communities
 There is a need to continue to build partnerships to address current challenges to
community involvement
 There is a need to connect ecomuseums to resources that will help them analyze,
assess, consult and engage with the community so that they can better respond to
local needs

4. Provided by Dr. Glenn Sutter

5. Research
Sask Ecomuseum
Partnership (SEP)
Sask Ecomuseum
Network (SEN)
Universities &
Colleges
Museum & Heritage
Partners
Global Network
(over 120 RCEs)
Museums & Heritage
Community
GOS Cultural Policy
facebook.com/grou
ps/saskecomuseums
/
Provided by Dr. Glenn Sutter

6. An Emerging Network (as of Oct 2017)
Provided by Dr. Glenn Sutter

7. Ecomuseums and FRH: Project 2
 Pockets of FRH are found across Canada
 Alberta (Sundre, Grand Cache, Stoney Reserve-Stray animal act/capture permits)
 BC Chilcotin – horse culture of Xeni Gwet’in wilderness and wild horse preserve (Canada’s only
mainland)
 Sable Island, Nova Scotia (isolated FRH horses part of land protection)
 Bronson Ponies (Saskatchewan-protected as living and historic tourist attraction)

9. Origins of the Horse and Indigenous
Horse knowledge
 The horse evolved in North America during pre-historic times and spread to other areas of the
world
 Western perspectives maintain that horses became extinct in NA 10 000 years ago (end of the
ice age)
 Western perspective - Spanish and European people “re-introduced” the horse during
colonization (16th century)
 Emerging evidence suggests that some Indigenous horses may have predated the ‘re-
introduction’ European horses (Indigenous knowledge)
 Oral knowledge and Indigenous history as ‘valid’
 Emerging research suggests that small pockets of wild horses may have survived the
Pleistocene era (just as moose, elk and deer)
 Elders and knowledge keepers – horses were part of culture before first contact

11. LLCIP as a potential Ecomuseum
Lac La Croix Indigenous Pony
“Horses were not introduced, necessarily, by the Spaniards; these are Indigenous
horses that originated here. And, I know that Spaniards introduced horses to the
Plains Indians and so forth, but we had Indigenous ponies that were here, and the
Lac La Croix Ponies, that are Indigenous to this land.”
Larry Aitken, Spiritual Advisor for Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe & History Professor at Itasca Community College
The Red Pony Stands: Ojibway Pony Sanctuary

12. Education for Sustainable Development
and Indigenous youth: Project 3
 The main goals of the UNESCO Chair led project are:
 To develop local approaches to improve the education and training of school-age
Indigenous youth.
 To generate and disseminate the research findings to assist and guide
governments, ministries of education, school systems and communities to meet
their national goals for Education 2030 and SDG Targets.
 To seek, share and build upon current successful teaching and learning approaches
amongst the research institutions and partner sites.
 To create an international research network with a focus on SDG Target 4.5.
 To improve the overall level of individual and community well-being.
 If applicable: additional local objectives, determined by research institutions and
partner sites.

13. Related research
 Indigenous community-driven connections with animals to integrate as part of
healing practices
 Sense of community that involves the more than-human
 Connections to other research projects at the University of Regina

14. Excel Spreadsheet developed at the RCE
Americas meeting in Vancouver

15. Thank You!!
Questions and comments