The Museum of Anthropology is gearing up to present the first exhibition dedicated to the vibrant culture, history, and ongoing revitalization efforts of the Nuxalk people from Bella Coola. Nuxalk Strong: Dancing Down the Eyelashes of the Sun, opening on February 21, is co-curated by Nuxalk Nation cultural director Dr. Snxakila Clyde Tallio and Museum of Anthropology curator of the Pacific Northwest Dr. Jennifer Kramer.

The exhibition offers a deep exploration of the Nuxalk community’s journey to reclaim sovereignty, rebuild cultural practices, and safeguard their treasures for future generations. Visitors can witness the strength and resilience of a nation reconnecting with its ancestral belongings through a collection of over 70 items, including masks, regalia, raven rattles, and mountain goat wool robes. Many of these items are on loan from institutions such as the Royal BC Museum, Burke Museum, Glenbow Museum, and private collections. A significant highlight is the return of cultural treasures originally gifted to ethnographer TF McIlwraith in the 1920s, which will be repatriated to the Nuxalk Nation at the exhibition’s close in 2026.

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