February 25, 2001 through June 10, 2001
Review by Mary MacGregor-Villarreal
Autry Museum of Western Heritage
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Information: 323-677-0988
"Central to the exhibition is the concept of Huupukwanum, the storage box that contains a chief's physical and cultural inheritance: his rights, names, dances, masks, and privileges, as well as the carvings and paintings associated with ceremonial rights. (Tupaat is the equivalent word in the language of the southern Nuu-chah-nulth nations.)" --exhibit brochure
Photo courtesy of Royal British Columbia Museum and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
Wolf headdress - Pacheedaht. This is one of a pair of headdresses that Chief Queesto uses in ceremonies. The name Queesto goes back 15 generations. Private Collection.
Photo courtesy of Royal British Columbia Museum and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
In the dark, cavernous-like exhibit space of "Out of the Mist," the immensity and beauty of the territory of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations People, who live primarily on the west side of Vancouver Island, B.C., are striking. Huge photomurals of the landscape and ocean, sounds of the surf, birds, and distant human voices combine with the darkened room to convey a sense of the presence of the landscape that dominates the lives of these people.
Subtitled "Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs," the exhibit displays a delicate balance in focus between the storage box of "treasures" and the "chiefs," since the key to understanding the former is through becoming familiar the latter and their roles in society. Immediately, we are introduced to the hereditary chiefs and their territories. Nineteen individual First Nations, including one in the state of Washington, have banded together to comprise the Nuu-chah-nilth First Nations. The chiefs' treasures are not simply objects, but include stewardship of the forest, the land, the ocean, and the people and their traditions.
We meet the contemporary hereditary chiefs through their photographs, placed symbolically next to paddles in the seagoing canoes that have traditionally been essential to their way of life. In quotes throughout the exhibit, they comment on various objects, how and when they are used, what their importance is. We learn about the making and use of masks, rattles, ceremonial curtains, headdresses, and other ceremonial and everyday objects, from those who use, inherit, and/or make them. Their voices rise "out of the mist" to make the objects and experiences they represent meaningful for us.
There is hardly an object, either ceremonial or everyday, that is displayed without noting an association with some individual, either the owner, the artist, or the maker. Thus, we are constantly reminded of the people, the individuals and families, who own these artifacts and for whom they are precious possessions. Becoming aware of these human connections and realizing that the objects are not "anonymous" or simply "art" or "cultural" artifacts, enriches the exhibit. The objects that form the collection on display seem infused with a physical presence of their owners and makers.
In an effort to personalize the exhibit even more, individuals of First Nations narrate short videos to familiarize us with their history and culture. The first introduces us to the Nuu-chah-nulth and the land and ocean where they live, giving brief historical background. In the second, hereditary chiefs talk about the past and the future, of their links to the land and the sea, and of efforts to engage non-natives in the struggle to preserve and improve the environment. Art and artists are the focus of the third video, which stresses that Nuu-chah-nulth art is an expression of the living culture.
The success of this exhibit undoubtedly lies in the collaboration of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations and the Royal British Columbia Museum. Through this collaborative effort, the voices of the First Nations tell their own stories and history and present their own artifacts. The videos further enhance this effort to present an "insider" view/opinion of life and art. An additional plus at the Autry Museum is the presence of a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations in the gallery to guide the visitor and field questions. A visit to the exhibit is worthwhile and contributes to the growing knowledge and understanding long needed of native cultures in North America.
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