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Octopus Bags The 40,000 objects in downtown Whitehorse’s MacBride Museum also include mammoth tusks, as well as Klondike Gold Rushmemorabilia and wildlife displays. (Will your head fit into a polar bear’s mouth? Discover the answer at the hands-on exhibit of animal skulls!) Among the Yukon’s 14 First Nations arts and crafts on display are some fascinating beaded octopus bags. Named after the eightarmed mollusk, the bags were originally used by medicine men who stored traditional medicines in each finger.They were later used as ceremonial dance aprons and beautifully decorated bags to carry tobacco, pipes and flint for starting fires. macbridemuseum.com Birch Bark-Biting Located 15 minutes northeast of downtown Saskatoon, Wanuskewin Heritage Park combines an archaeological site, indigenous cultural interpretations and performances, indoor exhibits and galleries. Works by contemporary and traditional First Nations artists include paintings, sculptures, beadwork, jewellery and porcupine quill-decorated baskets. The unique birch bark bitings by Cree Elder and residential school survivor Sally Milne are especially impressive. Using only her teeth to bite hand-peeled birch bark, she creates distinctive pieces of art. wanuskewin.com 16 | www.snowbirds.org Travel

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