Another new festival event on Jasper’s fall schedule is likely to become a regular part of the community’s cultural calendar, organizers say.

After Parks Canada and a host of local partners enjoyed a successful maiden run of their Wildlife Festival in October, those involved with the Heritage Gala weekend held this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday have indicated that they believe their own event was a success.

“I think it was a good learning event,” said Estelle Guthro, general manager of the Buffalo Nations Museum in Banff. The Buffalo Nations facility, along with the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society and the Alberta Heritage Community Foundation shared in the process of organizing the event and also split the fundraising proceeds derived from Saturday night’s $100 per plate dinner.

Guthro, whose facility represents Treaty Six, Seven and Eight nations from southwestern Alberta expressed a hope that in addition to becoming a regular fixture in Jasper, some aspects of the weekend event could be toured through a number of different museums and interpretive facilities, including the Buffalo Nations Museum.

“It’s something we should consider,” she said.

The nineteen artists that displayed works in the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre over the weekend came from as far afield as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Montana, Guthro said.

In bringing together artists and heritage groups, Catherine Twinn said that the intention was to begin to build relationships and support.

“These groups tend to struggle for their place in society, often getting trampled by economics,” said Twinn, a trustee with the Heritage Community Foundation and a prominent member of the Sawridge Band, which owns and operates the hotel where the gala was held. “We thought if we could bring them together we might be able to create relationships that would be mutually beneficial.”

Twinn said that the intention is for the event to happen every year.

“We hope it will be annual and we hope that we’ll keep it growing.”

Organizers might try to arrange for an earlier date if the gala does go ahead next year, however. Possible participants and attendees were prevented from being part of the event due to weather and road conditions. At the same time, the group knows that it has to be careful to avoid the pow wow and rodeo calendars if they do decide to move the weekend to an earlier time, as many aboriginal artists are travelling on the circuit to show and sell their work.

Another part of the weekend that was warmly received by organizers and attendees alike were the two shows put on by Manitoba bluesman Billy Joe Green. Originally scheduled to perform only on Friday night, Green was held over for Saturday evening as well due to popular demand.

Beyond the art show, gala dinner and muskrat blues, Saturday afternoon saw the official online launch of the Nature’s Laws website. A project designed and implemented with the assistance of the Heritage Community Foundation the website is source for information on aboriginal law and justice. The site features extensive information about aboriginal concepts of governance, culture, traditions and spiritual life. There is also a video archive of interviews conducted by eminent religious studies scholar Dr. Earle Waugh of the University of Alberta on a wide range of topics.

The site can be viewed at www.albertasource.ca/natureslaws/