News and Updates Update: Click here to download guidelines for presenters publishing in the 2008 Proceedings.

2008 Rocky Mountain House Colloquium Update
The 2008 Rupert’s Land Colloquium was a success, thanks in great part to the warmth and hard work of the Rocky Mountain House Rupert’s Land Festival Committee, along with partners and support across the community and region, including the Confluence Heritage Society, and the David Thompson Bicentennial Brigade (RMH). The Colloquium ran from Wednesday evening, May 14th through to Friday evening, May 16th, with  pre-colloquium workshops May 14th and a range of optional community events  offered May 17th-18th, including and art exhibit curated by Aron Hill, of Red Deer College. Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site put on displays and a tour in conjunction with its own grand reopening that coincided with the Colloquium, and Colloquium participants were given a private tour by a Parks Archaeologist on the Friday afternoon . The Colloquium banquet was hosted by The Confluence Heritage Society (formerly Friends of the National Historic Site). The event included a Beaver Club hour and Rupert’s Land Ceilidh, and was enjoyed by all.

Rich in the history of the fur trade, voyageurs and adventurers, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta was an ideal location for the 2008 Rupert's Land Colloquium. The North Saskatchewan River brought fur traders here over 200 years ago. Pushing ever further west from Hudson Bay and Montreal, rival companies in fierce competition sought to extend trade to more groups of Aboriginal people. In the year 1799, two trading posts were established: Acton House by the Hudson' s Bay Company and Rocky Mountain House by the North West Company. These two companies, before and after amalgamation, traded with nine different Aboriginal Peoples in the Rocky Mountains.

2008 marks the 200th anniversary of David Thompson' s arrival at Rocky Mountain House after spending the winter on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. He was making his way to Fort William to bring news of his breakthrough into the Pacific watershed.