For thousands of years, the traditional ocean-going canoe (“Glwa”) was a lifeline. Far beyond a simple mode of transportation, it not only garnered meaning for its practical purposes but also for what it represented.
Apart from its function as a tool for pursuing sustenance, it also served as a symbol of the unique development of social and ceremonial life and acted as a source of salvation for Indigenous communities on the Pacific Northwest Coast.
It granted access to new opportunities, promoting exploration and fostering a deeper connectivity between First Nations Peoples and their sacred lands.
Nearly lost as a direct consequence of colonization, canoe culture has experienced a revival over the last three decades, with Tribal Canoe Journeys catalyzing the revitalization of Indigenous culture, community healing, and youth empowerment on the Pacific Northwest Coast.
To commemorate this resurgence, Vancouver’s not-for-profit science centre, Science World, presents Sacred Journey, granting visitors the immense privilege of witnessing the power of Tribal Canoe Journeys, running now to February 20, 2023.
Produced by the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, SeeQuest Development and Greencoast Media, and presented by Vancity, Sacred Journey transports guests on a transcending voyage of discovery, allowing them to experience the revival of Northwest Coast canoe cultures.
The exhibit will entice and engage the senses through art, immersive audio, video displays and interactive experiences to portray the powerfully gripping story of a People reclaiming their traditions and ways of life.
It does so with a particular focus on annual Tribal Canoe Journeys embarked upon with the purpose of revitalizing cultures, reconciling with and healing communities, and empowering the next generation while preserving, honouring, and commemorating the traditions and cultures of those who came before them.
Featuring modern Northwest Coast style graphic design and mask carving by Chazz Mack, Ian Reid (Nusi), Kelsey (KC) Hall, and Roy Henry Vickers, Sacred Journey celebrates Northwest Coast canoe cultures.
It grants visitors the immense honour of bearing witness to the transformative power of Tribal Canoe Journeys and the valuable, insightful and powerful First Nations teachings that hold the solutions to the devastating environmental and social crises currently facing our world.
Beyond this exhibit lies another, entitled Bákvḷá, which provides further insights into the Heiltsuk Nation’s view of food as medicine and the crucial role food security plays in protecting and strengthening its people and culture.
The exhibit, a development of the dissertation of Vina Brown, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation and a Ph.D. candidate, examines a holistic approach to the Nation’s food sovereignty and security through stories of The Big House (Gvákva’áus Haíɫzaqv) and the arrival of herring (Wán ̓ái), which feeds everyone and everything on the Pacific Coast.
Bákvḷá beautifully illustrates how food not only sustains the Heiltsuk but also fosters their connections with their territory, deepens their relationship with their history and knowledge systems, and lies at the heart of their very identity.
To participate in this enriching immersive experience, book your tickets today at scienceworld.ca/exhibition/sacredjourney.
