NDN Giver explores the layered meanings within both everyday and extraordinary gifts that circulate through the potlatch. Blankets, coppers, canoes, prints, mugs, trade beads and devil’s club strung into necklaces all become carriers of law, memory, and relation to one another.
The title NDN Giver reclaims a phrase rooted in colonialism that mocked Indigenous generosity. In reality, the practice of giving upheld in the potlatch reflects the complexity of responsibilities in Indigenous governance and exchange. To give is to strengthen ties, and to receive is to take on the responsibility of carrying them forward.
On view from September 27, 2025 – February 22, 2026
