On May 29, 2025, our cohort had the privilege of visiting the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC for a private, curator-led tour that deepened our understanding of Indigenous cultures and their connections to sustainability, storytelling, and community.
We were fortunate to work with Damara Jacobs-Petersen, Indigenous Programming Curator at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology. Her thoughtfully designed tour brought the rich cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest First Nations to life through storytelling and arts.
The tour began with a series of stops highlighting different aspects of Indigenous life and traditions. We first explored the Canoes and Paddles, which showcased the diversity of coastal communities and their deep connection to the waterways. This was followed by a look at longhouses and post-and-beam architecture. The final stops in this section of the tour focused on potlatch and feasting traditions, explaining the significance of societal structure built on the redistribution of wealth.
The second part of the visit took us to the Multiversity Galleries, where we learned about Erub Arts and the Ghost Net Collective. This initiative combines Indigenous artistic practices with global ocean conservation efforts by transforming marine waste into powerful artworks. The pieces that were demonstrated served as a compelling example of how Indigenous communities contribute to the broader sustainability goals through creativity and environmental stewardship.
To conclude the tour, we were invited to a hands-on session featuring selected teaching pieces from the museum. Our members had the chance to engage with items such as a ridicule mask and shoes crafted with moose hide and beads. These pieces brought us back to the themes introduced at the beginning of the tour – resilience, creativity, and identity.
We are deeply grateful to Damara and the Museum of Anthropology for facilitating this enriching and eye-opening experience. It allowed our cohort to engage meaningfully through the lens of the Indigenous community and provided lasting insight into the cultural knowledge and lived experiences of the First Nations.
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