2018 Margaret Mead Film Festival

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a contemporary Northwest Coast artist from the Haida Nation and a descendant of Charles Edenshaw, who more than 100 years ago created dozens of carvings for the Museum’s Northwest Coast Hall (currently under renovation). Yahgulanaas’ work connects traditional motifs and practices to the lived experiences of First Nations people. In this installation of an automobile hood covered in copper plate, the artist fuses parallel signifiers of social and economic status: Haida copper shields, a traditional symbol of wealth, and cars, which can serve a similar function in contemporary society. Yahgulanaas will be on-site to discuss his work.