Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh (War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward (Vancouver Maritime Museum, British Columbia, Canada))

 

Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh (War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward)

The “Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh (War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward),” a temporary multidisciplinary exhibition at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, ongoing from September 16, 2021 to August 15, 2022, showcases Canoe Cultures, a program that promotes canoe pulling and builds new traditional Indigenous canoes through an apprenticeship program (led by seventh-generation canoe builder Mike Billy Sr. who has the Squamish name Lemxacha Siyam).

 

Ho’-ku-melh is a Chinook Jargon (a trade language that was used in what is now known as Alaska, British Columbia and Oregon) word meaning “to gather.” The 20 indigenous artists and knowledge holders in this expansive and multi-sensory journey share their gifts as they celebrate the resilience of indigenous communities and explore climate change, food security, displacement, ongoing colonialism and more while celebrating the history of the war canoe on the West Coast. 

The exhibition gathers together many voices and much wisdom about Salish canoes through stories, poems, textiles, murals, illustrations, and photographs as well as actual canoes (old, new and as works-in-progress).

 

Canoe Moon (Gerry Sheena - Interior Salish)

Curated by Roxanne Charles (a mixed media artist, contemporary storyteller and a member of Semiahmoo First Nation in Surrey, British Columbia), Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh also honors the long history of canoe culture on the West Coast. 

Canoe Cultures Carving Tools

The canoe, a vital element to coastal indigenous life and to mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health, has enabled indigenous communities to travel the highways of their ancestors since time immemorial.

 

Cedar Hat (Crystal Stogan)

Through war canoe or racing canoe stories, this exhibition honors the beautiful culture of Salish peoples; recognizes the strength, resilience, stewardship and generosity of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and acknowledges the traditional village site of Sen̓áḵw (meaning “The place inside the head of False Creek”).

 

Creator, Take Us Home (Caitlin Aleck)

We entered the exhibition, under a cedar archway, into a series of vibrantly colored rooms and we were greeted by the scent of cedar shavings from the work of the Canoe Cultures program in a room filled with art.

 

Jacket with canoe-themed adornments (Christie Lee Charles)

Highlights of the exhibit include:

• A triptych of feltings by Cease Wyss that represent Indigenous life prior to contact
• An illustration called “Ôsi :: The Canoe,” by Caleb Ellison-Dysart, depicting and exploring his personal connection to the canoe and references the story of how Rabbit came to be on the moon.
• A weaving, by Caitlin Aleck, titled “Creator, Take Us Home” in which the artist interprets the events surrounding the remains at residential schools and how the children can now travel back to their Creator in canoes.
• A mural by Jessey Sue Tustin that addresses the loss of personal connection to history that many Indigenous people experience
• A beautiful jacket with canoe-themed adornments by Christie Lee Charles
• A massive photograph of the delegation of Indigenous chiefs who petitioned the British King and the Canadian government to repeal the restrictions imposed through the Indian Act.
• A poem by Wil George celebrating the canoe
• Mitzi, a 70-year-old racing canoe from the Squamish Nation North Van Canoe Club, that has gone through many developments over the years and was the first dugout racing canoe on the coast to receive a carbon-fiber coating. 

Mural (Jessey Sue Tustin)

There’s also a room dedicated to the ongoing challenges Indigenous cultures face from industry and climate change. It also explores historic wrongs such as residential schools. The room features information and artistic responses to issues. 

Stories From a Long Time Ago (Cease Wyss)

Before leaving the exhibition, a display invites us to consider how they can act as an ally to Indigenous people and communities.

 

Photograph of the Delegation of Indigenous Chiefs 

The combination of evocative art and historical background tells an inspiring story of the strength and resilience of Indigenous cultures plus the use of the canoe as the focal point makes this an accessible and enjoyable exhibition. 

Self-Paddling Gliwa (Paul Windsor)

CBC provided the media sponsorship while  Fortis BC, Concord Pacific, Vancity and London Drugs provided support for this exhibition. 

Salish Beauty (Chris Tait)

 

Reflections (Ocean Hyland)

Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh (War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward): Vancouver Maritime Museum,1905 Ogden Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6J 1A3.  Website:  https://vanmaritime.com/ho-ku-melh/ and www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission: $13.50 (adults), $11.00 (seniors and students), $10.00 (ages 6-18 years old) and free (children 5 years old and under).  Coordinates: 49.277507°N 123.147265°W. 

How to Get There: The museum is located within Vanier Park just west of False Creek on the Vancouver waterfront.