Where the Power Is is a landmark volume that brings together over eighty contemporary Indigenous knowledge holders with extraordinary works of historical Northwest Coast art, ranging from ancient stone tools to woven baskets to carved masks and poles to silver jewellery. First Nations Elders, artists, scholars, and other community members visited the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia to connect with these objects, learn from the hands of their ancestors, and share their thoughts and insights on how these belongings transcend the category of “art” or “artifact” to embody vital ways of knowing and being in the world.

Accompanied by over 300 contemporary and historical photographs, this is a vivid and powerful document of Indigenous experiences of reconnection, reclamation, and return.

The book launch will be held in the Courtyard Room (formerly Café MOA) and all are welcome. Karen Duffek and Jordan Wilson will be offering opening remarks, signing books and mingling with visitors.

Free; museum admission not required to attend.
Copies of the book ($65) will be available for purchase in the MOA Shop.

Proof of vaccination

As per provincial orders, all special event participants 12 and older will be required to provide proof of vaccination (eg. BC Vaccine Card). MOA reserves the right to deny entry or participation to anyone who doesn’t comply with MOA’s stated policies, procedures and visitor code of conduct.

Bios

Karen Duffek is the Curator of Contemporary Visual Arts and Pacific Northwest at MOA. Committed to supporting the activation of Northwest Coast Indigenous collections inside and outside the museum, her research, exhibitions, and publications focus on the relationships between historical and contemporary art practices, museum collections, communities, and art markets.

Jordan Wilson is a Musqueam curator, writer, and PhD student in Anthropology at New York University. He has published on Musqueam and contemporary Indigenous art, and has co-curated two exhibitions at MOA: cəsnaʔəm, the city before the city (2015) and In a Different Light: Reflecting on Northwest Coast Art (2017).

Bill McLennan (1948–2020) was Curator, Pacific Northwest at MOA. His pioneering research with infrared photography resulted in The Transforming Image: Painted Arts of Northwest Coast First Nations (with Karen Duffek, 2000); this book and other achievements reflect his passion for researching the history and dynamics of Northwest Coast art, and for sharing his knowledge with others.