New exhibit explores human-water relationship at Okanagan Heritage Museum

A new feature exhibit will launch at the Okanagan Heritage Museum Saturday that explores the relationships between humans and water in the Okanagan Valley and the Columbia River Systems.

Waterways explores the impact of development and climate change on the local environment, as well as emphasizes the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the role it plays in ensure all living things have clean water now and in the future.

The Waterways exhibit features immersive media, including insights of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, scientists and conservations, which are shared on a multi-channel video installation. A virtual world can also be explored through touch screen interfaces that show what the Okanagan landscapes and waterways looked like before human development.

The exhibition also showcases examples of Indigenous-led restoration where diverse partners collaborate to enhance water sustainability.

The exhibit is being launched following one of the worst fire seasons in B.C.’s history, and Amanda Snyder, the Curatorial Manager for the Kelowna Museums Society, says in a release, that what has been seen this past summer makes the Waterways exhibit especially poignant.

“Water is a precious resource, and given the 2021 fire season in B.C., we’re even more acutely aware of that at the moment,” said Snyder.

“This exhibit will inform, intrigue and spark conversation. It’s a fascinating collaboration between several community partners. We hope folks will come out and learn about water sustainability in the Okanagan.”

The exhibit was created based on knowledge from ‘Water Ways – the Past, Present and Future of the Okanagan Waterscape,’ which is a project led by UBC Okanagan’s Centre for Culture and Technology and other partners, including the En’owkin Centre.

The Kelowna Museums Society, Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Project and the Okanagan Basin Water Board are some of the other organizations that contributed to the exhibition.

The Waterways exhibit will be open from September 18 to January 29 at the Okanagan Heritage Museum in downtown Kelowna.