My next visit was to the Museum Of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Where a previous post was focused on contemporary First Peoples woodcarvings the MOA offers insight into the past with the history of these carvings told through artifacts.

The museum was started more than fifty years ago and now houses some 535,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects, many of which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. It is Canada’s largest teaching museum and its collections, exhibitions and programs are renowned for giving access and insight into the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world.

When I arrived at the information desk I was informed that there was a tour starting immediately so I quickly joined it and took advantage of an excellent presentation by a well informed staff member. I was treated to glimpse inside the rich history of Canada’s First Peoples as told through their woodcarvings. In addition to the long term exhibits I also got a chance to view the visiting ‘Treasures of the Tsimshian from the Dundas Collection’ which included 48 pieces collected by Rev. Robert J. Dundas at Metlakatla, BC, in 1863.

When you first arrive at the museum you are greeted at the top of the stairs by two carved figures. One, carved by Musqueam artist Susan Point in 1997, is an Ancestor Figure holding a fisher (an animal believed to have healing powers); the other is a Welcome Figure by Nuu-chah-nulth artist Joe David, carved in 1984 to protest logging on Meares Island. Both figures are made of red cedar.

The large carved doors framing the entrance to the Museum were made in 1976 by four master Gitxsan artists: Walter Harris, Earl Muldoe, Vernon Stephens, and Art Sterritt. Represented on the doors is a narrative of the first people of the Skeena River region in B.C.

As you enter the Great Hall there are large scale sculptures from Coast Salish communities that are located on both sides of a ramp that decends into the main area. Further down and to your right you will find Kwakwaka’wakw carvings. Facing them on the left side are works from northern groups, including the Haida, Gitxsan (Tsimshian), and Nisga’a (Tsimshian).

Many of the large sculptures on the ramp were once parts of the cedar plank houses in which First Nations families lived. Some of the carvings served as posts supporting roof beams, while others were decorative. Coastal house carvings usually represent ancestors or powerful beings associated with the history of the residents of the house.

In the Great Hall you will find magnificent examples of works in red cedar originating from several communities, including the Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw, Gitxsan, Nisga’a, Haisla, Oweekeno, and others. These works include a number of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Totem poles which were removed from their original village sites in the 1950’s. With their owners’ cooperation, the pieces were selected, purchased, and moved to museums where they are now protected from decay and vandalism, and available for study by contemporary artists and researchers. Several of the larger poles were cut into smaller sections to facilitate removal. In some cases, First Nations artists made replicas of the poles which were returned to replace the originals.

The design of the Great Hall itself was inspired by the post-and-beam architecture of the First Peoples of the Northwest Coast of British Columbia.

Here are some photos of the various artifacts:

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