c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

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  • January 25 - December 2015 (O’Brian Gallery)
  • CURATORS Susan Rowley, Co-curator of the Museum of Anthropology, Jordan Wilson, Co-curator of the Museum of Anthropology
  • The Museum of Anthropology, the Musqueam First Nation, and the Museum of Vancouver partner on a groundbreaking exploration of an ancient landscape and living culture in a series of exhibitions entitledc̓əsnaʔəm, the city before the city.
  • People often think of Vancouver as a new city, when in fact this region has been occupied for nine thousand years. Located in the area now commonly known as the neighbourhood of Marpole in Vancouver, c̓əsnaʔəm was first occupied almost five thousand years ago and became one of the largest of the Musqueam people’s ancient village sites approximately two thousand years ago. Generations of families lived at what was then the mouth of the Fraser River, harvesting the rich resources of the delta. Over the past 125 years, archaeologists, collectors, and treasure hunters have mined the c̓əsnaʔəm village and burial ground for artifacts and ancestral remains. The land has been given various names since colonialism, including Great Fraser Midden, Eburne Midden, DhRs-1, and Marpole Midden – a name under which it would receive designation as a National Historic Site in 1933. Today, intersecting railway lines, roads, and bridges to Richmond and YVR Airport obscure the heart of Musqueam’s traditional territory, yet c̓əsnaʔəm’s importance to the Musqueam community remains undiminished. The exhibition at MOA focuses on Musqueam identity and worldview. It highlights language, oral history, and the community’s recent actions to protect c̓əsnaʔəm. Rich in multi-media, it demonstrates Musqueam’s continuous connection to their territory, despite the many changes to the land. Told from the first-person perspectives of Musqueam community members both past and present, it also seeks to replicate aspects of Musqueam ways of educating. c̓əsnaʔəm, the city before the city at MOA will leave the visitor with a different understanding of the deep history of what is now known as Metro Vancouver. The exhibition at the Musqueam Cultural Education Resource Centre & Gallery focuses on the sophistication of the Musqueam culture – past and present. It makes connections between the expertise of pre-contact knowledge-holders and contemporary professionals. The exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver draws connections between c̓əsnaʔəm artifacts, Indigenous ways of knowing, colonialism, heritage politics, cultural resilience, and contemporary Musqueam culture. It includes graphic and 3D modelling of maps and artifacts, original videography, family-friendly interactivity, and soundscapes blending traditional and modern sounds.

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c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

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c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

5 Archival description results for c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

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c̓ əsnaʔəm: the city before the city

Subseries consists of records related to the graphic design for the c̓ əsnaʔəm exhibit, on display at the Museum of Anthropology January 25, 2015 - December 2015. The exhbit was curated by Susan Rowley and Jordan Wilson.

Museum of Anthropology Annual Report 2014-2015

The report outlines the museum's activities and finances for the previous fiscal year, including listing staff, attendance figures, acquisitions, exhibitions, educational activities, public programming, events, loans, research projects, and publications of the museum and its staff. It includes descriptions of a new strategic plan, MOA's new travel program for members, participation in a research project that "explores alternatives for the recovery of Indigenous heritage," and Spotlight Taiwan, a new programming series focused on Taiwan, among other initiatives.

Museum of Anthropology Annual Report 2015-2016

The report outlines the museum's activities and finances for the previous fiscal year, including listing staff, attendance figures, acquisitions, exhibitions, educational activities, public programming, events, loans, research projects, and publications of the museum and its staff. It includes descriptions of collaborations with the global partners including the National Museum of Papua New Guinea, cultural preservation and conservation work in local communities and institutions, and digitization projects at the Audrey and Harry Hawthorn Library and Archives and the Oral History and Language Lab, among other initiatives.