yay for Alberta

[lord of the mark]

Smithsonian Folklife Festival featured Alberta this year.

We got to see First Nation, Meti and cowboy crafts, Blackfoot Nation dancing, ate bison burghers, etc, heard a generic folksinger sing songs of the Alberta labor movement from the 20s' and 30s, and got to experience an oil sands simulator.

[Lancer]

yay

[Asher]

100% of Albertans may be getting another $400 cheque from King Ralph for no apparent reason again.

[techumseh]

That's good to know (LOTM, not Asher). We've got lots of hype at this end. I'm glad people down there found it interesting.

[notyoueither]

Did you get your yo-yo?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Did you get your yo-yo?

No, but we got fans that said "alberta, feel the energy"

even a cheap hand fan is appreciated on a hot DC day.

QOTM looking at a poster "they actually have modern cities!"

LOTM: Listen, hes talking Canadian!

POTM: This beadwork is kewl!

[Flubber]

Originally posted by lord of the mark




QOTM looking at a poster "they actually have modern cities!"

Ya last year when we got electricity it was a real accomplishment

[Flubber]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



LOTM: Listen, hes talking Canadian!

well eh you hoser We eh always likes to honoUr our roots eh by talkin' Canadian eh.

(with apologies to the SCTV television show)

[Flubber]

Re: yay for Alberta

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Smithsonian Folklife Festival featured Alberta this year.

We got to see First Nation, Meti and cowboy crafts, Blackfoot Nation dancing, ate bison burghers, etc, heard a generic folksinger sing songs of the Alberta labor movement from the 20s' and 30s, and got to experience an oil sands simulator.

Good-- I had seen the hype in our local papers but wondered if this type of stuff got noticed . Didn't they bring one of the oil sands big trucks? Now those things are impressive

[Tingkai]

My grandmother's name was Alberta. Yay for granny!

[lord of the mark]

Re: Re: yay for Alberta

Originally posted by Flubber



Good-- I had seen the hype in our local papers but wondered if this type of stuff got noticed . Didn't they bring one of the oil sands big trucks? Now those things are impressive

the Smithsonian folk life festival is a big deal every year. It features one "foreign country", one American regions, and one "broader theme". This year the region was "latino Chicago" and the "country" was Alberta. The theme area was "native basketry" (yeah, I know, boooring, we skipped it) Alberta definitely made the biggest splash this year. The festival is right before and during the 4th, so it gets lots of Washingtonians, tourists, etc.

Yes, the oil sands truck was suitably impressive -even more was that they said there are trucks 4 times as big used in the oil sands.

Some enviros made a stink about the energy industry involvement in a festival thats usually more focused on cultural survival and stuff - but the response, IIUC, is that the oil industry IS part of Albertas culture.

Oh, there was also an interesting tent about the pottery industry.

[techumseh]

Did they have a tent for the pot industry?

[Jon Miller]

Re: Re: Re: yay for Alberta

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Oh, there was also an interesting tent about the pottery industry.

Originally posted by techumseh
Did they have a tent for the pot industry?

Jon Miller

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Re: yay for Alberta

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Yes, the oil sands truck was suitably impressive -even more was that they said there are trucks 4 times as big used in the oil sands.

The biggst ones would be very difficult to transport. As I understand it the limiting factor was that a single tire had to be able to be transported by rail car. If they wanted even bigger trucks, I think they wouild have to manufacture things like the tires on site

[Flubber]

Re: Re: Re: yay for Alberta

Originally posted by lord of the mark

Some enviros made a stink about the energy industry involvement in a festival thats usually more focused on cultural survival and stuff - but the response, IIUC, is that the oil industry IS part of Albertas culture.

and it is . I never understood the idea that business and certain types of industry are not part of a culture. Oil is the dominant industry in Alberta and influences most people's daily lives. While it might not be as quaint as farming or ranching ( which I am sure could be included without comment) it is HUGE in shaping the lifestyles of Albertans