
Native Economies: From the Potlatch Ban to the Masks of Beau Dick
24 May 2018, 6.30pm
Join us for a performative talk by Candice Hopkins (Art Historian and Curator, Toronto) curated by The Serving Library in partnership with LJMU’s Exhibition Research Lab for Liverpool Biennial 2018.
In the Kwak’wala language, ‘nuyumbalees’ means stories from the beginning of the world, while ‘u’mista’ means a return to the place of origin. These words have been used to name two cultural centres in Alert Bay and in Cape Mudge that house masks and dance regalia repatriated after the potlatch ban in Canada (1885–1951). The ‘potlatch’ is the generalised name for different ceremonies practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the USA, many of which centre on the display and shared distribution of wealth. Traditionally, potlaches served as the primary economic system in these communities, setting in motion a separate system of governance and social structure that colonisers could not countenance. In this performative talk, Hopkins will spin a tale that begins with the potlatch ban to consider how this native economy and its ritual ideologies function today.
Drinks from 6pm, talks 6.30–7.30pm. Free, booking required here:
This event is part of the Talks Programme curated by The Serving Library for Liverpool Biennial 2018, in response to its title ‘Beautiful world, where are you?’
The full Programme is here:
http://servinglibrary.org/prog
See also:
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/researc