ABSTRACT
While some living history museums work to interpret cultures and communities that no longer exist in their area, other sites may be able to work with local resources to make connections that enhance the public’s understanding of their neighbors. Ellen Gasser detailed different projects that were undertaken with distinct communities in the province of Alberta, Canada, to expand Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village interpretation of those groups. In 2007, Heritage Park Historical Village launched two independent and groundbreaking projects to provide stronger cultural interpretation using the voices of two specific cultural communities. Each project followed a different pathway to engaging the community in representing itself. In all eras of the park have interpreters in costume, representing the times and telling the stories of the characters, settlement, and history. Interpretation is presented mostly in third person, with some first person in short vignettes and through roving street theatre.
