Welcome to the Museum of Aboriginal Peoples' Art and Artifacts.
Portage College Museum of Aboriginal Peoples’ Art and Artifacts (MOAPAA) began in 1978 as a teaching collection for the college’s Native Arts and Culture programs. In the 1970s, it was difficult to find Indigenous works of art as they were not viewed as art and were unavailable in art galleries. Frequently, works that were collected were housed in anthropologic collections. This was the impetus for the formation of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. – Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, Joseph Sánchez, Norval Morrisseau, Eddy Cobiness, Carl Ray, and Jackson Beardy – a collective of Indigenous artists who formed in 1973 to advocate for Indigenous art as fine art to be included in art galleries across the nation.
The MOAPAA collections showcase foundational artists across different genres and tell the stories of the beginnings of various Indigenous art forms from coast to coast to coast. Visitors to the museum can enjoy a self-guided tour, and guided group tours can also be accommodated with prior arrangements. The exhibits provide an in-depth look at North American Indigenous Art from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures and house the only permanent collection in the world of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc.
The museum’s collection contains over 2,000 Indigenous artworks. MOAPAA is housed at the Portage College Corporate Centre, which is situated in the beautiful county of Lac La Biche, Alberta.
Watch and listen to Joseph Sánchez as he introduces the exhibits on show around the museum for your viewing pleasure.
Hours of Operation
9:00 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
Monday to Friday
(guided tours- by booking only)
Summer Hours
9:00 A.M - 7:00 P.M
Monday to Sunday Self-guided tours
Museum Contact Information:
Donna Feledichuk, Museum Director
780-623-6693 or email: The Museum
Joseph Sánchez, Chief Curator
If you are interested in pursuing a career in Native Arts and Culture, Portage College offers an Aboriginal Art Certificate and a diploma in Artisan Entrepreneurship: Native Arts and Culture Programs
We acknowledge that Portage College’s service region is on the traditional lands of First Nation Peoples, the owners of Treaty 6, 8 and 10, which are also homelands to the Métis people. We honour the history and culture of all people who first lived and gathered in these lands.