Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

WOOD, TIN

No. Pieces

1

Length

91.5

Width

13.3

Description

WOOD WALKING STICK, TOP CARVED WITH RED CENTRE BEAD. HANDLE FACE CARVED WITH WHITE & RED CENTRE BEAD. VARIOUS GEOMETRIC DESIGNS CARVED ALONG STICK & COLORS OF RED, BLACK, BROWN. SMALL CHIP IN CORNER OF HANDLE. HANDLE TAKES APPEARANCE OF AXE HEAD.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

WALKING STICK IS A REPLICA OF THAT USED BY GUERILLA FIGHTERS 200 YEARS AGO AGAINST VILLAGE LANDLORDS THAT EXPLOITED THE PEASANTS. THIS IS A SOUVENIR OF THAT PERIOD & NOT NOW USED. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DONORS. THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ABOUT THE DONORS, NICK AND ANN BORDENIUK, AND THE ORIGIN OF THE OBJECTS INCLUDED IN THEIR 1977 DONATION WERE FOUND IN A HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM THE DONORS IN THE PERMANENT FILE. NICK BORDENIUK WAS BORN IN CZERNIWICI, UKRAINE ON MAY 20, 1895. HE FIRST CAME TO QUEBEC IN 1913, WORKING AS A MINER AND ON VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION SITES INCLUDING THAT OF THE ST. LAWRENCE BRIDGE IN 1916. IN 1922 HE ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE AND WORKED AT THE NO. 6 MINE. IN 1940 HE MOVED TO FERNIE, B.C. AND WORKED IN COAL CREEK UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1958. ANN BORDENIUK WAS BORN IN LWOW, UKRAINE AND MOVED TO HILLCREST, ALBERTA IN 1936. SHE ALSO MOVED TO FERNIE AND MARRIED NICK THERE IN 1955. IN 1976 THE BORDENIUKS MOVED FROM THEIR HOME INTO TOM UPHILL MANOR IN FERNIE, AND DONATED THEIR COLLECTION OF UKRAINIAN OBJECTS TO THE GALT MUSEUM. ALL OF THE OBJECTS WERE HANDMADE IN THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION OF KARPYTIAN IN WESTERN UKRAINE. THE WOODEN WALKING STICK IS A REPLICA OF THAT USED BY GUERILLA FIGHTERS IN THE 1800S AGAINST VILLAGE LANDLORDS THAT EXPLOITED THE PEASANTS. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HANDWRITTEN BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ON THE DONORS.

*UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING THIS ARTIFACT. RESEARCH CONDUCTED INTO THE DONOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.

Catalogue Number

P19770055000

Acquisition Date

1976-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail