In this interactive 90-minute program, learn about the importance of Indigenous plants, how they enhance our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our local ecosystems, and reflect on themes of reciprocity, stewardship and our relationship with the plant world.

The event features T’uy’t’tanat sharing herbal tea with each participant (stinging nettle, raspberry leaf, mint and rosehips) as well as her extensive knowledge through stories and songs in MOA’s Haida House. She will then lead a walk through the various Indigenous plants growing on MOA’s grounds, and talk about their uses and properties for traditional health practices.

Included with the program fee, each participant will also receive a bag of handcrafted Indigenous herbal tea from T’uy’t’tanat and her daughter Senaqwila Wyss’s co-owend Indigenous herbal tea company Raven and Hummingbird Tea Co.

T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh/Sto:Lo/Hawaiian/Swiss) is an interdisciplinary artist who works with digital media, writing, and performance as her multi-disciplinary arts practice. She is a community engaged and public artist and ethnobotanist. Her works range over 30 years and have always focused on sustainability, permaculture techniques, Coast Salish Cultural elements and have included themes of ethnobotany, Indigenous language revival, Salish weaving and digital media technology. Cease recently collaborated with Oli Salvas and Anne-Marie Mellster through the IOC-UNESCO project to create an app entitled “We Are Ocean” that has been a tremendous example of how indigenous and non-Indigenous communities need to unite through a cultural lens in order to raise awareness about sustainability and protecting species at risk, as well as recognition of our part in the colonial destruction of ecosystems.

Presented in conjunction with the student exhibition, Closer Closer: Miniatures, Models, and Their Stories, curated by the students of Anthropology 431: Museum Practice and Curatorship. This interactive exhibition explores the stories behind everyday miniatures.

Bring your own miniatures that are meaningful to you, and share your stories with others.

Michael Soganic is a Vancouver-based miniature maker, and self-described model train nerd. He has built a series of miniatures based on Vancouver’s most beloved buildings, stores, and venues, such as the Vernon Drive Grocery and Little Mountain Gallery, and posts his works often on his Instagram page.

Featuring two incredible BIPOC and femme-identifying performers: Maia and headliner Turunesh, a UBC alumnus plus an opening act featuring spoken word poet, Ky in honour of the International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31). Cozy up by the outdoor fire pit, roast a marshmallow and dance the night away.

Hailing from around the world both artists bring diverse experiences and voices into the Vancouver and University of British Columbia music scene. Maia’s genre-bending songs will touch on life’s realities and our relationships we form with ourselves and others as the rhythmic sounds of Turunesh’s Zanzibari-style melodies of Taarab music with her signature feminist flair will fill the cedar scented air.

At this event, MOA will be accepting donations of select toiletries and personal care products on behalf of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. We encourage you to bring these items to contribute: sunscreen, body wipes, Kleenex, deodorant, soap bars, travel-size toiletries.

This evening is presented in partnership with Exposure UBC, the UBC Arts and Culture District, and the UBC Blank Vinyl Project.

Bios

Like the first spark of a new flame, Ky is a spoken word poet that thrives on air from the audience and the winds of the moment. Her free flowing lyrical style weaves personal identity and social activism, with the energy of whatever room she finds herself in. As a human raised around the world, she is an artist that works with the crowd to pull them in for ride of new ideas and perspectives.

Turunesh, crowned ‘Conjurer of worlds’, her musical moments are monumental on stage and on the record. Turunesh married her love for writing poetry and singing at 14 years old. Shyly releasing original songs on Soundcloud and selectively sharing her links with a small circle of trusted friends, Turunesh had no idea that she would become a pioneer of East Africa’s alternative art scene. A truly multifaceted artist, the Tanzanian singer, songwriter, and creative director is becoming a leading voice amongst her peers in the realm of alternative African music. Turunesh currently resides in Vancouver, Canada, where she is constantly breaking down boundaries, reinventing the sonic infrastructure, and introducing an experimental and refreshing take on the new wave of Neo Soul & RnB. Known for her fluid and sensual approach to music, Turunesh encapsulates the goddess essence of her songs ‘Rum & Butter’ & ‘Coco Marijuana’. Her unique silky sound and lyrical suave has solidified her as a feminist, Pan-African artist on the rise.

Maia is an industrious artist from Vancouver who prioritizes authenticity and creativity in her art. Her lyricism and wide vocal range touch upon the realities of life from relationships with the self to the ones you love. Born in the UK, she spent her childhood moving to Ghana, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Maia has been surrounded by sounds of all backgrounds, which influence her desire to mix genres and create unique sounds.

Curators from the exhibitions Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots and Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum dive deep into conversation as they explore intersections across these two powerful and important exhibitions that highlights Black history and belonging in BC and beyond.

Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum is presented by the BC Black History Awareness Society in partnership with the Royal BC Museum, sharing the story of Afro-diasporic “British Columbia” history, past, present and future. Black “British Columbian” history has long been whitewashed in the annals of colonial history. Against the backdrop of white-centring walls, this exhibit daylights the living and ongoing history of Black belonging, told in this manner by the Black community for the first time.

Best suited for young adults and adults.

This event kicks off with talks from exhibition co-curators, Nuno Porto, Nya Lewis and Titilope Salami, along with select participating artists from the exhibition Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots. Join in the reflection on the exhibition and a discussion of the themes and inspiration behind it. Speeches will be followed by a final celebration of Sankofa with the curators, artists, and community members.

Curator Bios

Nuno Porto, MOA Curator, Africa + South America, holds a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, where he taught anthropology until 2011. In Central Portugal, he worked on issues related to literacy acquisition, religion and visual culture. In Cape Verde and Angola his work has focused on issues related to colonialism, science, museology, photography, material, visual and digital cultures, and contemporary African art.

Nya Lewis is a Vancouver-based independent curator, and MFA candidate at OCAD. A writer, activist, and community organizer committed to building just and inclusive cultural and social infrastructure in Vancouver – her work celebrates the strength and perseverance of Black Canadian culture, history and its diversity.

Titilope Salami, guest curator for the exhibition Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots, is an artist, curator and lecturer of visual arts at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Her group exhibitions include Jubilation (2014), Diversiform (2018), Strength of Women (2019), and On and On (2019), and she participated in the performance Red Day (2017) with Jelili Atiku. Salami is currently conducting her Ph.D. research in the history and policies of West African museums at the University of British Columbia.

Presented in conjunction of MOA’s feature exhibition Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots, this afternoon explores stories and perspectives of the African diaspora. You will have the opportunity to get immersed in a fictional Congolese origin story and hear excerpts from Njamba’s upcoming children’s book.

Come join in dynamic call-and-response songs and sing along to the guitar as you learn more about traditional folk stories from a number of different African traditions. Find out more about Njamba’s own routes and roots, and feel free to ask questions about his career as a writer.

This event is suitable for children ages 5 to 12.

Njamba Koffi, author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired and BA student of International Relations and Affairs and Creative Writing at UBC, is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has lived and travelled in multiple countries as a refugee. He appreciates multiculturalism, is highly passionate about youth empowerment, and advocates for recognition and resolution of minority issues, especially issues affecting refugee youth.

Sankofa, which runs from November 4, 2021 to March 27, 2022, features works by both African and Black Canadian artists, in conversation with objects in MOA’s permanent collection. This reflective exhibition celebrates different ways of understanding the world through the lenses of African and Black communities, the wealth of their cultural and art practices, and their inspiring legacy.

These one-hour exhibition tours will give visitors the opportunity to engage with the themes and ideas of the exhibition through diverse perspectives.

Capacity of 15 people per tour; first come, first served.

Tour dates (3 – 4pm)

CANCELLED: Saturday, January 22

CANCELLED: Saturday, January 29 – with Njamba Koffi, author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired; BA student, International Relations and Affairs, UBC

CANCELLED: Saturday, February 5 – with Olumoroti Soji-George, director of Black Arts Centre + MA visual arts studies and history, SFU

CANCELLED: Saturday February 19

Saturday February 26 – with Stephanie Allen, co-founder of Hogan’s Alley Society

Saturday, March 5 – with Anthonia Ogundele, UBC Board of Governors + founder of Hogan’s Alley Land Trust

Saturday, March 12 – with Nya Lewis, exhibition guest co-curator; founder + director of BlackArt Gastown

These tours will be led by a range of speakers, including:

• – Nuno Porto (MOA Curator, Africa + South America; exhibition co-curator)
• – Nya Lewis (exhibition guest co-curator; founder + director of BlackArt Gastown)
• – Titilope Salami (exhibition guest co-curator; artist; PhD candidate, UBC)
• – Damara Jacobs-Petersen (MOA Curator of Indigenous Programming)
• – Oluwasayo Olowo-Ake (curator of Oruko Mi Ni: Reinterpreting Ibeji; MA candidate, Art History, Visual Art + Theory, UBC)
• – Njamba Koffi (author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired; BA student, International Relations and Affairs, UBC)
• – Stephanie Allen (co-founder of Hogan’s Alley Society)
• – Olumoroti Soji-George (director of Black Arts Centre + MA, visual arts studies and history, SFU)
• – And others

Community members or organizations who would like to participate as guest speakers of one of these exhibition tours with MOA Curator Nuno Porto are welcome to contact Nadin Hassan, MOA Public Programs Assistant at programs@moa.ubc.ca.

Featuring historical and contemporary works by African and Black Canadian artists and objects in MOA’s collection, Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots shares stories, histories and projects of African and Black affirmation. In particular, it draws connections to historical contributions and the growing vitality of Black Canadians in Vancouver.

For tweens and teens. School groups welcome, best suited for Grades 6-10.

Registration required.

In partnership with the Vancouver Public Library

Willy White will be weaving a Chilkat dance apron and leggings which were commissioned by MOA to accompany the Chilkat robe he completed in 2004 as another commission—MOA Collections 2641/1—Sala gamiilga gaax ganou: The Raven Dances with Frogs. The dance apron and leggings will be created not only for museum display and education, but also for activation through community access and ceremonial use.

We welcome you to visit Willy while he is working at MOA, during regular museum hours. This is a special and rare opportunity to witness the artist at work, and to join him in conversation about his artistic practice.

Schedule

Tuesday, February 8 – Saturday, February 12  | 12 – 5 pm
Tuesday, February 15 – Sunday, February 20  | 12 – 5 pm

William (Willy) White lives in northern British Columbia. His Tsimshian name is Lii Am Laxuu and he is a member of the Raven Clan of the Git-wil-gyoots, which translates as “the people of the seaweed.” A weaver for twenty-three years, he has also been a dedicated teacher for more than a decade, with a particular interest in supporting the growing interest in Tsimshian weaving and the return of weaving as a cultural and personal statement at ceremonies. He has travelled throughout the Tsimshian Nation and smaller villages, promoting and teaching traditional weaving. He is proud to be a Chilkat weaver and honoured to be a carrier of the traditional knowledge among the people of the Tsimshian Nation.

Watch this video from the Royal BC Museum to learn more about the weaver and his process.

It’s a day of museum fun for the whole family at MOA, where kids and youth can take part and take the lead! Listen to children’s stories about African and Black Canadian heritage, follow a youth-led tour of the exhibition Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots, participate in a hands-on conservation lab, and chat with our artist-in-residence, Willy White, as he demonstrates Chilkat weaving. Discover fun activities throughout the Museum all afternoon!

The event is open to youth of all ages. Kids under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. The event is free with museum admission.
Plus, there’s many more family activities at Kids Take Over UBC, happening all across the UBC campus.

Program Schedule at MOA

Kids Conservation Lab | 11 am – 2 pm
Learning Lab
A drop-in activity where all ages can practice the care and repair of materials found in the museum. There will be demonstrations on mending for paper, mini ceramic repair and the polishing of metals like pennies. Come have fun with this hands-on activity and then take your projects home.

Sankofa Tours | 1 – 2 pm
Audain Gallery
Tours by members of African Descent Society’s Heritage Keepers: special 20-minute tours that explores the exhibition Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots from a individual African descent and youth perspectives.

Storytelling | 11 – 11:30 am + 12 – 12:30 pm
Presentation Circle
Listen to Njamba Koffi (author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired), read a selection of illustrated children’s books exploring West African and Black Canadian heritage.

Chilkat Weaving | 11 am – 3 pm
Textile Research Room
Watch our artist-in-residence, Willy White, weave a Chilkat dance apron and matching leggings as part of his artist residency at MOA. Learn more about his techniques, Chilkat weaving, and Tsimshian ceremonial practices.

Bios

Njamba “John Michael” Koffi, author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired and BA student of International Relations and Affairs at UBC, is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has lived and travelled in multiple countries as a refugee. He appreciates multiculturalism, is highly passionate about youth empowerment, and advocates for recognition and resolution of minority issues, especially issues affecting refugee youth.

Mauray Katherine Toutloff is an objects conservator at MOA. She has an M.A.C. from Queen’s University and a B.Sc. from the University of Regina. Mauray is focused on collaborative research for preventative and treatment-oriented conservation strategies. She lectures on conservation for the Department of Anthropology, is the regional representative for the Canadian Association of Conservation, and is an ardent supporter of disseminating conservation education and training to students, volunteers, community members and the public.

William (Willy) White is an internationally recognized Chilkat weaver and a carrier of the traditional knowledge among the people of the Tsimshian Nation. In 1996, he publicly wove the first Tsimshian Raven’s Tail robe made since European contact, at the Museum of Northern British Columbia. For the last ten years, he has focused on reviving ancient weaving techniques used in producing Chilkat, as well as reviving its use in ceremonies. Willy is committed to teaching other Tsimshian weavers, including his current apprentice, Pearl Innis.

The African Descent Society BC (ADSBC) is a non-profit organization that promotes African Descent arts, culture and education in Vancouver, the province of British Columbia, and beyond. ADSBC organizes the annual African Descent Festival as well as other live music events, music workshops, and weekly shows for emerging African Descent artists. ADSBC is also a leading organizer of Black History Month programs, Heritage and Black Strathcona walking tours, and other cultural activities in BC in collaboration with schools, community organizations and colleges.