The Vancouver Maritime Museum has a wonderful permanent exhibit but also has beautiful temporary exhibits. Their current temporary exhibit is giving a platform for indigenous artists and culture. 

Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward showcases indigenous culture but from a unique perspective. The artist of the exhibit uses the war canoe to explore climate change, food security, displacement, and ongoing colonialism. 

Also featured in the exhibit is Canoe Culture, a local indigenous organization dedicated to the preservation of the art of the canoe and the advancement of indigenous arts. 

Canoes are more than just a method of transportation for indigenous people. Canoes are an integral part of their culture. Indigenous people used to race their war canoes as a sport before they were banned from doing so by the Canadian government. 

The exhibit honors the long history of canoe culture on the West Coast and celebrates the resilience of indigenous communities. The exhibit was curated by indigenous artist Roxanne Charles and features work from 22 indigenous artists. The word Ho’-ku-melh is a Chinook Jargon term meaning “to gather”.

The section of the museum with the exhibit has been transformed into a multi-sensory experience. You enter the exhibit under a cedar archway into a series of vibrant, colourful rooms. The work of the Canoe Cultures program brings the scent of cedar shavings. 

Although the exhibit is appealing to all your senses, it does not gloss over the hardships of indigenous communities. Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku explores the challenges indigenous cultures face, from residential schools to the impacts of climate change through art and information.

One of the most beautiful pieces, in my opinion, is the 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.

Pieces in the exhibit range from murals to a jacket decorated with adornments to photographs to poems to a 70-year-old racing canoe. 

The exhibit is open until July 3rd, 2022

Featuring 20 #IndigenousArtists and carvers, this exhibition is not to be missed! pic.twitter.com/n9wURLM0ox

— Vancouver Maritime Museum (@vanmaritime) April 16, 2022