Whale exhibit visiting Calgary gets traditional Maori and Blackfoot blessings

Two traditional blessings were performedat Telus Spark on Friday one Blackfoot and one Maori to kick off the Whales Tohora exhibit from New Zealand, openingon Jan. 20.

The touring exhibit from The Museum of New Zealand has been on the road for 10 years, showcasing the remains of many species of cetaceans, which is the technical name for whales, dolphin andporpoises.

"You'll see 37 different species of cetaceans and those are real specimens, not casts," saidPat Stodart, the touring exhibition manager for WhalesTohora.

The exhibit includes the36-metre-long skeleton of a male sperm whale, a life-size replica of a blue whale's heart large enough for an adult to walk around inside and the remains of a female sperm whale dubbed ''Old Woman of the Sea" by the Maori Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.

"She's an old female, you can see that she had broken ribs which have [healed], you can see that she's got arthritis,"Stodartsaid. "You can see that shes got marks on her from the bends, diving too deep."

"We all get those too, but people don't think of these giant marine mammals suffering from thebendsor arthritis, but they do."

2 traditional blessingsa world apart

A Blackfoot smudge ceremony was performed to bless the whale remains, and atraditional Maori song was sung by members of the exhibit team.

Stodartsaid the Maorihave livedin New Zealand for over 1,000 years anduse the remains of beached whales to craft tools,weapons and personal adornments, adding any whales that become stranded on Maorilandbecome property of the tribe.

"Over that time there have been many, many whale strandings and they have made use of that material and come to revere the whale as a great bounty for them,"Stodartsaid.

Because many of the remains are from protected species,Stodartsaid the touring exhibit has been working closely with theSmithsonianInstitute and the Royal Alberta Museum to get the proper certificates to keep the show on the road.

After 10 years of touring,Stodartsaid the exhibit is expected to greet its 3 millionth visitor while in Calgary.

WhalesTohoraopens on Jan. 20 at TelusSpark and runs until June 20.

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