Abstract

This thesis deals with exhibition practices of Canadian cultural establishments regarding First Nations art at the turn of the twenty-first century. I consider Raven's Reprise , which was held at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia from January 26th 2000 to January 14th 2001, as a case study for discussing the juxtaposition of historical Northwest Coast objects and contemporary art. The thesis describes the Northwest Coast area and discusses the different peoples and their culture and it examines the history and development of their artistic production. It also deals with the formation of the Task Force on Museums and First Peoples, including its report and recommendations from 1992. This thesis also discusses contemporary First Nations art from 1960 until 2000, and demonstrates that Raven's Reprise was representative of work being done by contemporary artists at the time it was shown. Furthermore, this thesis focuses on one of the central issues of Raven's Reprise : exhibiting contemporary work in an ethnological environment. It is my premise throughout this thesis that Raven's Reprise was a significant effort to educate the museum-going public about the continuing presence of contemporary Northwest Coast art and artists, and that it was an influential and groundbreaking exhibition because of its attempts to educate and its success in creating lasting dialogue and debate.