Musqueam Indian Band Develops Plan to Protect Cultural Assets

The Musqueam Indian Band (MIB) received Catalyst funding of $11,500 to develop a cultural protection policy. The policy establishes what traditional knowledge and cultural assets should be available and what should be deemed sacred and not included within the development of the new MIB Interpretive Centre or related projects. Cultural property includes songs, stories and dances that are spiritual and not to be distributed; language or local knowledge of the area that may be distributed within the Musqueam community only; and commercial property such as public works of art or items created for sale.

A working group of community stakeholders met regularly and held two community meetings with Musqueam Elders, council, artists and others.

The resulting policy determines what traditional knowledge within the scope of current intellectual property law can and should be protected; what protection measures should be used; and parameters for those measures.

Catalyst invests in BC arts, cultural and heritage organizations wishing to enhance their artistic, administrative and organizational capacities. The program is supported by the Province of British Columbia.