{"id":15537,"date":"2026-04-07T10:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mpmgarts.com\/media\/?page_id=15537"},"modified":"2026-04-07T10:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:10:10","slug":"moa-i-use-my-haida-eyes-the-history-robes-of-jut-ke-nay-hazel-wilson","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mpmgarts.com\/media\/campaigns\/moa-i-use-my-haida-eyes-the-history-robes-of-jut-ke-nay-hazel-wilson\/","title":{"rendered":"MOA: I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PRESS RELEASE<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

MOA Delves Into Haida Histories Through a Visionary\u2019s Lens with
\nWorld Premiere of Epic Collection of 50 Robes in
\n\u2014 I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of
\nJut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson \u2014 <\/em><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s painted and appliqu\u00e9d robes document specific episodes of Haida history, representing an innovative expansion of traditional Indigenous form
\n<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

VANCOUVER, BC \u2014 <\/b>The <\/span>Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA) <\/b>presents the world premiere of <\/span>I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson<\/i><\/b>, on display from <\/span>May 14, 2026\u2013October 12, 2026.<\/b> Curated by \u026c\u0259k\u02b7\u0259lqin\u0259m\u2013Jordan Wilson (no relation to the artist), MOA Curator, Pacific Northwest + Contemporary Indigenous Art, the exhibition features an epic collection of 50 \u201chistory robes\u201d by <\/span>Jut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson<\/span> (1941\u20132016), a Haida artist who dedicated her life to Haida cultural and artistic work. Over a brief period from 2005 to 2006, Hazel Wilson created this series of robes, which documents specific episodes of Haida history from a Haida perspective\u2013including narratives of her Haida ancestors, settler colonial acts of oppression, as well as Hazel\u2019s memories of her childhood, gathering and harvesting on the Haida Gwaii landscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Drawing on the distinctive form and techniques of traditional \u201cbutton blankets\u201d of the Northwest Coast\u2014robes typically adorned with an individual\u2019s family or clan crests\u2014Hazel Wilson\u2019s works are a radical departure in terms of their representational quality, bringing her practice into the realm of history painting and folk art. The history robes index the innovative ways in which Haida and Indigenous artists continuously expand on traditional forms to speak to a changing world.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI was filled with wonder when I first encountered Hazel\u2019s series of history robes, as they pull you into Hazel\u2019s world, and are innovative and unexpected in their form. They have an intimate and moving quality, while being far-reaching in their historical depth,\u201d says exhibition curator \u026c\u0259k\u02b7\u0259lqin\u0259m\u2013Jordan Wilson. \u201cTwenty years after its creation, this body of work continues to resonate, particularly in depicting a Canadian colonial history whose legacies Indigenous peoples and settlers alike have inherited. The series also portrays the Haida peoples\u2019 deep and ongoing connection to their territory. In bringing together this full series for the first time, this exhibition opens up a larger conversation about Indigenous values and environmental stewardship within our capitalist society\u2019s extractive approach to land and resources.\u201d<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

While Hazel Wilson\u2019s series of history robes have been displayed in various iterations\u2014and was the focus of a 2022 book <\/span>Glory and Exile: Haida History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay Hazel Wilson, <\/span><\/i>published by Figure 1 Press and the Haida Gwaii Museum\u2014this is the first time that the entire collection of robes, but one, will be on display at the same time.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Each robe is accompanied by its own text which the artist wrote by hand, imparting the historic episode being portrayed. Narratives range from a \u201cpre-contact\u201d period depicting stories of Haida ancestors, to the first contact with European explorers, to Hazel Wilson\u2019s own childhood experiences in the 1940s and 1950s. Some noteworthy history robes include: <\/span>Guidance<\/span><\/i>, which portrays the definitive moment where Hazel is informed by her Elders that she will bear the responsibility of carrying forward Haida culture and history through the making of button blankets; <\/span>The Mistake<\/span><\/i>, depicting the moment of the Haida\u2019s first encounter with European explorers, who brought with them diseases that had devastating impacts; <\/span>All the Nations Came Together (Putting Away the Magic)<\/span><\/i>, where Haida and Indigenous women put away their \u2018magic\u2019 for safekeeping from settlers; and <\/span>Tiiyaan<\/span><\/i>, depicting a tranquil night-time scene of Wilson\u2019s ancestral village.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Hazel Wilson was supported in her practice by her family, including two of her daughters, Dana and Avis Simeon, who helped source materials, scouring thrift stores for the right beads and fabrics. Dana, a button blanket maker, and Avis, a prolific beadworker, are both involved as advisors on this exhibition, and helped inform the exhibition\u2019s representation of their mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

MOA will celebrate <\/span>I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson\u2019s<\/span><\/i> opening night on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from <\/span>6pm to 9pm, with free museum admission for all. <\/span>To learn more about the exhibition, as well as ancillary events, visit moa.ubc.ca<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

About MOA (<\/b>moa.ubc.ca<\/b><\/a><\/span>)<\/span>
\n<\/b>The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is world-renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs and community connections. Its mission is to inspire an understanding of and respect for world arts and cultures. Today, Canada\u2019s largest teaching museum is located in a spectacular Arthur Erickson-designed building overlooking mountains and sea. MOA\u2019s collections consist of more than 50,000 cultural objects and artworks created in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe and the Americas \u2014 with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. MOA\u2019s Multiversity Galleries: Ways of Knowing provide public access to many of these works. The Audain Gallery and the O\u2019Brian Gallery, MOA\u2019s feature exhibition spaces, showcase travelling exhibitions, as well as those developed in-house.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
LISTING INFORMATION<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nMOA presents <\/b>I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of
\nJut-ke-Nay\u2013Hazel Wilson<\/i><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dates:<\/span><\/td>\nMay 14, 2026\u2013October 12, 2026<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Address:<\/span><\/td>\nMuseum of Anthropology
\nUniversity of British Columbia
\n6393 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Website:<\/span><\/td>\nmoa.ubc.ca<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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