North Vancouver Museum and Squamish Nation present significant exhibition of First Nations art and artifacts
Published: January 12, 2011
North Vancouver, BC: The North Vancouver Museum and the Squamish Nation present a major new exhibition, ?Txwnch7á mnew?as kwis eslihikwiws / Entwined Histories: Gifts from the Maisie Hurley Collection, from January 25 through November 6, 2011. The exhibition focuses on the entwined histories of indigenous peoples and newcomers through the shared advocacy of a local activist, Maisie Hurley, and her friends from the Squamish Nation. It explores the cultural significance of gift-giving from a First Nations perspective.
Maisie Hurley (1887-1964) was best known for founding Canada?s first native newspaper, the Native Voice, in 1946. She was also the first woman admitted to the Native Brotherhood of BC. Hurley is credited in Canadian legal circles as the first non-native champion of Aboriginal title, the legal basis for Native land claims.
Maisie Hurley and her husband, criminal attorney Tom Hurley, received many culturally significant gifts for their work on behalf of First Nations. Today, the collection contains 194 objects, including carvings, baskets, masks, and a series of portraits of First Nations leaders drawn by Hurley herself. Assisted by a federal grant and help from the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Museum has recently restored many of the pieces on view.
Near the end of her life, Hurley decided her collection belonged in a museum where it would be accessible to First Nations people. With the help of Irene Rogers, of the Rogers Sugar family, it later became one of the founding collections of the North Vancouver Museum.
The exhibition includes a short video of interviews of Squamish Nation members who talk about the impact of the Hurleys' friendship and advocacy on their lives and their community. The video has been created in collaboration with Simon Fraser University's Making Culture Lab.
Dr. Sharon Fortney, co-curator of the exhibition with Damara Jacobs, explains that the exhibit reveals relationships that continue to be meaningful for the Squamish Nation. "The combined advocacy of the Squamish elders showcased in this exhibit, and non-native supporters, such as Maisie and Tom Hurley, enables the current generation to continue to build collaboration."
Entwined Histories: Gifts from the Maisie Hurley Collection is presented by the North Vancouver Museum & Archives and the Squamish Nation, with support from the Museums Assistance Program, Department of Canadian Heritage. The exhibition is open to the public from January 25 - November 6, 2011, at the Museum (209 West 4th Street, North Vancouver). Hours are Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information, call 604-987-5612 or visit www.northvanmuseum.ca.
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High resolution images available here ftp.dnv.org/archives, Media Materials folder, Entwined Histories Exhibit file.
Interviews can be arranged with Dr. Sharon Fortney and Damara Jacobs, curators, on request.
Media Contact:
Shirley Sutherland, Assistant Director
Phone: (604) 990.3700 ex. 8003
Email: sutherlands@dnv.org
