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The majority of this file contains historical images of the Tlingit and Tahltan First Nations and their respective villages. The other images are of Tlingit or Tahltan artifacts housed in various museums in Canada and the United States. The historic images are of Tlingit or Tahltan villages which include images of Northwest Coast architecture, houses posts and totem poles, canoes, and other household items such as bowls, weavings, and bentwood boxes. There are also some images of the Tlingit people in regalia. The textual records contained in this file is a paper titled "The History of the Babine Carriers," written by Wilfred Adam for the class Education 479, Cross Cultural Education.

Fonds consists of records relating to the numerous culture and language projects that Powell and Jensen worked on since 1976. The communities with which they worked include:
• The Quileute of La Push
• The Kwakwaka’wakw of Alert Bay
• The Gitxsan of Kispiox, Gitanyow, and surrounding villages
• The Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island
• The Musqueam of Vancouver
• The Seton Lake St'at'imc (Lillooet) of Shalalth
• The Shuswap of Alkali Lake, Soda Creek, Dog Creek, Canim Lake, and Sugar Cane
• The Haisla of Kitamaat
• The Nisga’a of Gingolx (Kincolith) and New Aiyansh

Most of the projects had an end goal to produce a book, language education materials, or teacher training materials. Often the education materials incorporated cultural lessons throughout. The records created in the production of the books are varied and reflect the intrinsic connection between language, culture, and daily activities in the communities. Powell and Jensen were co-editors for nearly all of the language books and materials produced. Although some of the projects reflected in the records were done primarily by Powell or primarily by Jensen, the vast majority of the work involves collaboration between the two in some aspect. As Jensen and Powell immersed themselves in the communities they worked for, often their personal photographs and records are interspersed with those relating to their work. This community involvement enhanced their relationships with the people with whom they were working and allowed them to experience and participate in cultural activities as part of those communities. This close relationship is reflected in and is integral to their work. Jensen and Powell have two sons: Nels, born in 1978, and Luke, born in 1981. Their sons travelled with them to the communities in which they worked and lived, and on their work trips and sabbaticals. Nels and Luke are also present in many of the photographic records.

The records contain a mixture of research, field notes, administrative records, and publications at various stages, in addition to audio and visual records. Field notes, for the most part handwritten, and archival research into language and culture groups was undertaken by Powell, whilst the majority of the photography, found in a variety of formats, was done by Jensen. Manuscripts and final publications were a combined effort and are included at various stages. Administrative records, including grant proposals, are found throughout.

Fonds consists of 13 series of records. Series are arranged according to community and/or project.

During their time living in Bella Bella, the Houstons took many photographs of the lives of the Heiltsuk First Nation community documenting the day-to-day lives of the Heiltsuk First Nation as well as ceremonial activities. The colour slides document the construction, painting, and launching of the Gi’wa, a Heiltsuk canoe which sailed with the Lootaas, the Haida canoe built by Bill Reid for Expo 86. Some of the slides document the welcome feast at Bella Bella in honour of the Haida crew of the Lootaas. The colour slides also document several potlatches and wedding feasts held in the community hall, and the local Sports Day parade. Slides also depict the role of the fishing in the community, such as smoking salmon and processing roe. Other photos document gravestones on a nearby cemetery island, derelict canneries, petroglyphs and pictographs, totem poles and house posts, all in or near Bella Bella.

Series documents Nisga’a artist Norman Tait and his crew of carvers during a period in which they were prolific in their creation of totem poles.

Jensen first met Tait in the early 1970s when she would photographic artists’ works for Bud Mintz, Vancouver gallery owner. In 1985 she had the idea to produce a book documenting the carving of a totem pole from start to finish. She approached Tait, who initially refused but called Jensen back just a few days later to take her up on the offer, after being commissioned to create a pole for the Native Education Centre in Vancouver.

Jensen photographed Tait and his crew, which consisted of his brother Robert (Chip), his cousin Harry Martin (Hammy), his nephew Wayne Young and his eldest son Isaac (Ikey). She also made notes and audio recordings of Tait’s lessons to his crew, most of whom had never worked on such a large project. The photographs and tapes were used in the creation of the book Where the People Gather: Carving a Totem Pole. The project also led to the publication of a children’s version, Carving a Totem Pole and a paperback version titled Totem Pole Carving. The books were published in the early 1990s.

Jensen documented Tait’s next two major commissions: two poles for Capilano Mall in 1986, and a pole for Stanley Park in 1987.

In 1987 Tait adopted Jensen into the Nisga’a Eagle Clan and began to teach her about the responsibilities that came with the honour. The lessons were put into practice in 2001 when Tait asked Vickie to guard the body of a family member that had died.

The series includes photographic records of the creation of the four poles; audio recordings of lessons and interviews with Tait; transcripts of the audio tapes; and notes. The series consists of five sub-series:

A. Native Education Centre (NEC) pole photographs
B. Capilano Mall and Stanley Park poles photographs
C. Misc. photographs
D. Tait family and crew artists’ photographs
E. Audio tapes and transcripts.

Series consists of photographs documenting events in various communities throughout British Columbia and Washington State. These include community photographs in Mt. Currie; the Salish Linguistic Conference in Oman, Washington State; a Robert Davidson Pole Raising; coverage of NWC artifacts at the National Museum of Copenhagen in Denmark; coverage of 1992 Nuxalk Potlatch at Bella Coola for Canadian Museum of Civilization; and photographs of a Haida bentwood box.

Between working on language and education projects, Jensen was often hired by communities to document important events, such as pole-raisings, conferences and potlatches. This series consists of the photographs taken at those events.

File consists of photographs taken for the B.C. Indian Language Project in Victoria, B.C. Jensen was asked to film Charlie Mack steaming a canoe on the Birkenhead River near Mt. Currie. While Jensen was filming, Dorothy Kennedy took large format negative coverage of the event. The file also includes photographs of Cora and Danny Wells' fish camp at the head of Lillooet Lake.

File consists of photographs of the annual Mt. Currie rodeo.

File consists of photographs taken during a trip to the Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) for a pole raising by Robert Davidson. Whilst there, Dr. George MacDonald took Jensen and Powell on a side trip to an old village site.

File consists of photographs of a memorial potlatch hosted by hereditary chief Laurence and Amelia Poutlas at Bella Coola. Jensen was asked to photograph the event by Andrea Laforet for the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, as the museum had been involved in research for the potlatch, which was the first to be held in the area in a long time.