Part one of two talks on the multi-award winning collection: Native Art of the Northwest Coast A History of Changing Ideas
with Haa’yuups Ron Hamilton
Many years in the making, this remarkable collection records and scrutinizes definitions of Northwest Coast Native art and its boundaries. This is a significant work of critical historiography made accessible for the first time in one place a broad selection of more than 250 years of writing on Northwest Coast “art”. The collection includes complex topics such as the clash between oral and written knowledge, transcultural entanglement, the influence of surrealist thinking, and the long history of the deployment of Northwest Coast Native art for nationalist purposes. The selections are preceded by thought-provoking introductions that give historical context to the diverse intellectual traditions that have influenced, stimulated, and opposed each other.
To begin this two-part conversation we are honoured to host in conversation one of the book editors and major contributors, Haa’yuups Ron Hamilton, a Nuu-chah-nulth historian, ritualist, speaker, Head of House of Takiishtakamlthat-h (Earthquake House), Clan ‘Tlikuulthat-h, Tribe Huupa’chesat-h (People with house over the river).
An Anthology
Haa’yuups, Ron Hamilton is a distinguished Nuu-chah-nulth artist, historian, and cultural knowledge holder from the Hupacasath First Nation in British Columbia. Born on February 11, 1948 in Ahaswinis near Port Alberni, he has dedicated his life to Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Haa’yuups work is multidimensional sculpture, painting, dance, song, writing, and regalia creation, all reflecting the ceremonial life of his people. Notably, Haa’yuups served as co-curator for the renovation of the Northwest Coast Hall at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, ensuring respectful and accurate representation of Indigenous cultures. He has also collaborated with institutions like the National Museum of the American Indian and the British Museum, contributing his expertise to the curation and interpretation of Indigenous artifacts.
Beyond his artistic contributions, Haa’yuups is a respected knowledge keeper, actively involved in cultural practices and ceremonies, and committed to educating both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities about Nuu-chah-nulth heritage. His enduring efforts have significantly enriched the understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures on a global scale.
To learn more about our esteem speaker, please visit: https://nuuchahnulthlivingarchive.com/people/ḥaayuups-ron-hamilton