COURTENAY, B.C.- This year marks the 67th anniversary of the lifting of the potlatch ban, and the Kumugwe Cultural Society is set to host a special art exhibition to mark the occasion.
However, they’re seeking some funding to help put the event together.
Guest curator Lee Everson said they’ve asked Courtenay council for $10,000, which equates to 10 per cent of the exhibit’s budget.
The art exhibition will feature works by 13 Indigenous artists, representing how the potlatch ban and eventual lifting of the ban 67 years ago means to them and their families.
A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples. It was banned by the government of the Dominion of Canada in 1885, before being lifted in 1951.
“The taking away of culture for Indigenous people was substantial to their way of living,” said Everson.
“It’s more than just taking away them being able to sign their songs and do their dances, it was about a whole way of living.”
She said the event is a way to educate the public on what that impact has meant to First Nations peoples.
Everson said they hope to keep the exhibit running until around October, so they can host as many schools as possible.
The Potlatch 6767 art exhibition will start this summer at the Comox Valley Art Gallery.
For more on the Kumugwe Cultural Society, visit kumugwe.ca.
