The Future of Indigenous Rights and Responsibilities: Ancestral governance, environmental stewardship, language revival, and cultural vibrancy.
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: History
Abstract
The project focuses on Indigenous rights and priorities. Working in the ancestral territories of the K'omox, Pentlatch, and E'iksan (Vancouver Island, Canada) and Maori (Aotearoa, New Zealand), the project will do in-depth work with ancestral leadership, place based origin stories, environmental stewardship, cultural societies, dance groups and language specialists. It will address four of the most pressing issues for the local Indigenous communities: 1) the renewal of ancestral governance, 2) environmental stewardship, 3) language revival, and 4) cultural revitalisation. The project takes practical approaches to raise community awareness of customary rights and responsibilities to the land, ocean, and ecosystems. It will help map family relations, reconnecting community members with ancestral knowledge and trace their ties to different places and kinships. This work is decolonisation in practice, led by local needs and priorities. It is designed to help overcome knowledge lost to many community members though colonisation and cultural genocide, as documented in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports 2015. This project builds on the team members' independent work on decolonisation, cultural renewal and healing, and their international networks. The project will support an ongoing relationship of cultural exchange between Vancouver Island and Aotearoa. Working across cultures provides different models for cultural and language renewal, leadership and governance, and strategies to negotiate Indigenous-settler relationships. In Aotearoa, UNDRIP has not only been adopted into law, but it is now being measured against attainment goals, making it a step ahead of Canada that adopted UNDRIP in 2019.
Publications
Onciul B
(2024)
The critical potential of heritage for Indigenous rights in the Anthropocene
in International Journal of Heritage Studies
Onciul B
(2024)
Heritages of (de)colonialism: Reflections from the Pacific Northwest Coast, Canada
in American Anthropologist
Onciul, B
(2025)
The Northwest Coast Hall Reimagined, American Museum of Natural History, New York
in Museum Worlds Advances in Research
Wedlidi Speck
(2023)
The E'ik?s?n "People of the Sun"
| Title | Articulating Transformation Ha_msa_mdza_s Mask, by Karver Everson |
| Description | The mask carved by artist Karver Everson, is an articulating transformation mask of a ha_msa_mdza_s (eater on the ground). It depicts a gwa'wina (raven) when closed with its wings in front of the mask. When the mask is open it depicts both the gwa'wina (raven) and sisiyutl (double headed sea serpent). It is carved of western red cedar, adorned with sea lion whiskers, leather, copper and painted with acrylic paint. This mask is an interpretation of a historic ha_msa_mdza_s mask that was collected in 1880s and now resides in the Berlin Museum. Our team visited the one in Berlin, conducting research and taking photographs, footage and measurements of it. There are two very similar masks at the National Museum of the American Indian and the American Museum of Natural History, which we used for reference as well in the recreation. All three masks are thematically and stylistically similar and may have been carved by the same artist. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The cultural rights of the mask in Berlin belong to the Gigalgam of the Walas Kwakiutl. On September 28th 2024, the Everson family hosted a Potlatch and the artist Karver Everson danced the Ha_msa_mdza_s on his nephew's behalf as he was too young (four years old at the time) to take on this role and responsibility. It was the first time this mask was danced in the family in well over 100 years. The mask and dance were witnessed by over 400 people, including Indigenous hereditary leaders from communities across the Northwest Coast, and invited museum curators and academics. Through creating this work, it helps the revival and continuum of cultural practices and aids in asserting Indigenous ancestral governance, rights and prerogatives. |
| Title | Gisaxstala Awakened |
| Description | Amongst the Kwakwa_ka_'wakw, box lids are traditionally used during the brideprice repayment ceremony ("K_utexa"). These lids have a flanged side painted with traditional imagery and inlaid with sea otter teeth and, occassionally, abalone shell and are known as "gisaxstala". During the ceremony, hundreds of gisaxstala were typically gathered together and one lid was broken with an axe. This cultural tradition has been dormant for over one hundred years. Andy Everson and Bryony Onciul closely studied gisaxstala held in museum collections-including those in the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Karver Everson was commissioned to carve eight such boards. Andy Everson cast sea otter teeth out of resin and painted and inlaid the boards. Six of the eight boards were direct copies or inspired by boards held in museum collections we visited, and two were orignial designs. A single gisaxstala was made as a complete lid by Karver Everson to be ceremonially broken at a K_utexa held in September 2024. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Due to the creation of these boards, the first K_utexa ceremony was able to be held in many generations. This was witnessed by over 400 people in September 2024. The witnesses included many Chiefs, Matriarchs and cultural leaders from Kwakwa_ka_'wakw and other First Nations communities across the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It was also witnessed and supported by curators from the Museum of Anthropology UBC Canada, the Royal BC Museum Canada, and Burke Museum Seattle USA, who loaned historic gisaxstala for use in the ceremony. Academics from the UK, USA, Canada, and Germany also came to witness this historic event. The gisaxstala hold power to encourage others to also hold this ceremony and further decolonize traditional Kwakwa_ka_'wakw marriage practices. There is growing interest within the Kwakwa_ka_'wakw community about gisaxstala and the K_utexa ceremony. |
| Title | Kumugwe Cultural Society International Performance at Porirua Waitangi Day |
| Description | The Kumugwe Cultural Society gave their first international performance at Porirua Waitangi Day on 6 Feb 2025 on the main stage. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Impact | There were record numbers of people at Porirua Waitangi Day on 6 Feb 2025, with an estimated audience of 35,000. The performance was part of the festivities and activities in support of Maori rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. |
| URL | https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=167654 |
| Title | Resonance |
| Description | "Resonance" is an artwork design created by Andy Everson for the project for the Kumugwe Cultural Society - Ngati Toa Cultural Exchange in February 2025. The design was used on a ceremonial drum gifted to Ngati Toa as koha during the formal powhiri on Hongoeka Marae in Plimmerton. The design was used to adorn t-shirts worn by Kumugwe Cultural Society members while on exchange. The design represents a 'waka' or canoe prow on its voyage from the Northwest Coast of Canada to Aotearoa New Zealand, the stars signify the southern hemisphere constellations, and the colours echo those of Ngati Toa's, signifying the visit to Ngati Toa territory. The piece also speaks to and reflects Andy Everson's design "Unity" that he created for his first visit to the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand in 1999. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Impact | The design has been featured in a cultural exchange of 16 First Nations Kumugwe Cultural Society members and received by 40+ Maori community members. It was seen by an estimated thirty five thousand of members of the public at the Porirua Waitangi Day on 6 Feb 2025, when Kumugwe shared a cultural performance on the main stage. This was Kumugwe Cultural Society's first international performance, which was a direct result of the grant funding and research. The design was also shared with Iwi in the South Island, continuing a cultural exchange that has been ongoing there since the 1990s, becoming multigenerational. |
| URL | https://poriruacity.govt.nz/discover-porirua/waitangi-day/ |
| Description | FIRR research project has four work packages (WP). The first focused on ancestral governance and environmental stewardship, the second on language revitalisation, the third on cultural revitalisation, and the fourth on cultural learning exchange with Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand. The key findings on WP 1 Ancestral governance and environmental stewardship include the multicultural history of the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island Canada. Archival and oral historical evidence shows that the Pentlatch and E'ik?s?n were and remain distinct cultural groups living in the area, in addition to the K'omox. The project has raised local awareness, including with the School District SD71, partners BC Parks, and members of the public who attended talks and events, as well as international awareness through the project cultural exchange with Ngati Toa in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the many international research talks the team has given in Europe, North America and Oceania. This WP helped the project to meet our second objective to "Reconnect Indigenous families and collaborating communities with their lineage of cultural practices and hereditary responsibilities connected to unceded territories and environmental and cultural stewardship on Vancouver." The research on WP2 language revitalisation is still in process, but early findings indicate the importance of ceremonial language in cultural revival as a vital skillset, distinct from everyday language learning. Ceremonial speech is critical to enabling Indigenous community members to reengage with culture through Potlatch and Big House ceremonies, feasts, and protocols. The ceremonial speech language project (co-funded by the First Peoples' Cultural Council) will host a gathering in March 2025 with around 40 language experts from the Kwakwaka_'wakw fluent speaking and language teaching community. This gathering will allow language workers to visit and na_nwak_ola (talk together), as well as share resources from the project and share how language is taught in different locations across the communities and ancestral territories of the Kwakwaka_'wakw. WP2 is helping the project meet the third objective to "Support a sustainable approach to language revival, teaching, and Elder's leadership and guidance for the next generation of Kwak'wala speakers." The key findings on WP3 cultural revitalisation included identifying important cultural items and ceremonies that would be beneficial to "reawaken", having fallen dormant or out of practice as a result of cultural and language suppression under the Indian Act, the Indian Residential School System, and the process of colonization and land alienation. The project focused on two areas, the first being Kwakwa_ka_'wakw "gisaxstala" (box lid dowry boards) and the connected ceremony of "K_utexa" (bride price repayment ceremony), and the second being returning a Ha_msa_mdza_s mask and dance to the living decedents of Gigalgam of the Walas Kwakiutl. Research into international museum collections identified "gisaxstala" in museums in North America (NMAI, NMNH, AMNH, Brooklyn museum, Field Museum Chicago, Burke Museum, RBCM, MOA) and Europe (Humboldt Forum Berlin, National Museum of Scotland Edinburgh, British Museum, Horniman Museum London) that were previously misidentified and/or had limited associated information. Andy Everson and Bryony Onciul visited and closely studied "gisaxstala" held in museum collections and their related archival records - including those in the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Collating the collections with historic anthropological texts and living oral history, Co-I Andy Everson was able to understand the process of making the "gisaxstala" and the details of the ceremony that has been dormant for over a hundred years. Artist Karver Everson was commissioned to carve eight "gisaxstala" dowry boards. Co-I Andy Everson cast sea otter teeth from resin and designed, painted and inlaid the boards creating new "gisaxstala." Six of the eight boards were direct copies or inspired by historic boards held in the museum collections we visited, and two were original designs. A single "gisaxstala" was made as a complete lid by Karver Everson to be ceremonially broken during the "K_utexa". On 29th September 2024 the new "gisaxstala" along with historic pieces loaned from museum collections in America and Canada (Burke Museum, MOA UBC, RBCM) were used to reawaken the "K_utexa" ceremony. They were laid out around the hawa_nak_a, and the whole "gisaxstala" was ceremonially broken with an axe. This was witnessed by over 400 people, including Indigenous hereditary leaders from communities across the Northwest Coast, and invited museum curators and academics. It was also filmed and photographed to create a record for the community and future generations. During the ceremony smaller boards were distributed to cultural leaders to take back to their families, and the eight large "gisaxstala" are now in circulation in the community for used in future "K_utexa" ceremonies, enabling the reawakening of this practice and ceremony. WP3 also enabled Co-I Keisha Everson, Co-I Wedlidi Speck and PI Bryony Onciul to do research visits to museum collections in Europe, including the Humboldt Forum (Dahlem collections), National Museum of Scotland, British Museum, and Horniman Museum. This provided the opportunity to research collection pieces from Co-I Keisha Everson's and Co-I Wedlidi Speck respective communities and ancestors. The findings included being able to bring photos and detailed measurements back home to share with local Indigenous artists, descendants, and anthropologists in the Kwakwaka_'wakw, E'ik?s?n, Pentlatch and K'omox communities. The museum collection research created a second outcome. Based on the research of historic Ha_msa_mdza_s masks in the collections we visited, we were able to identity the cultural rights of the mask in Berlin belong to the Gigalgam of the Walas Kwakiutl, and Karver and Keisha are direct descendants. We commissioned artist Karver Everson to make a new articulated Transformation Ha_msa_mdza_s Mask in 2024, based on photographs, measurements, archival documents and oral histories. This mask then reentered cultural practice on 28th September 2024, at the Everson family hosted Potlatch. The artist Karver Everson danced the Ha_msa_mdza_s on behalf of his four year old nephew, who will become the holder of the mask when he comes of age and can take on the associated roles and responsibilities. It was the first time this mask was danced in the family in well over one hundred years. The mask and dance were witnessed by over 400 people, including Indigenous hereditary leaders from communities across the Northwest Coast, and invited museum curators and academics. Through creating this work, it helps the revival and continuum of cultural practices and aids in asserting Indigenous ancestral governance, rights and prerogatives. WP3 has helped the project meet our fourth objective, to "Renew historic cultural material key to living practices of dance and oral history sharing in Potlatches, by visiting collections held in museums and commissioning new pieces by young Indigenous artists, strengthening their own cultural practice while supporting wider community efforts to uphold Indigenous rights and cultural pride." The impact of WP4 cultural learning exchange with Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand continues to resonate and has inspired more exchange and collaboration. The The key findings include the value and impact the exchange had on the Indigenous participants in both countries, with both groups saying the impacts and learnings will "last a lifetime". The people of Hongoeka Marae, Plimmerton, Wellington, Aotearoa, found that they have benefited from the shared learning and intergenerational interaction, with the positive and inspirational impact on the young people involved being a key highlight. Witnessing Kumugwe's work on language song and performance has inspired the group to travel and seek to do a reciprocal cultural exchange to help continue the relationship across the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island and Aotearoa. For Kumugwe, the opportunity to perform for the first time internationally at Waitangi Day in Te Rauparaha Park in Porirua, one of the largest events in Aotearoa with an estimated crowd of 35,000, has inspired them to travel and share culture more widely, with aspirations toreturn to Aotearoa and also share culture in other international settings. Co-I Awhina Tamarapa noted that the exchange "inspired [us] to look at ourselves in a different way. We can still harvest our customary foods and resources, although there are restrictions placed on us, with pollution and climate change challenges. Our strength is that Maori are still relatively connected. This visit has reinvigorated our cultural ties and sense of whanaungatanga (connectivity)" (Co-I Tamarapa March 2025). Overall, a key finding was the deep felt and tangible impact the exchanges had on the participants, expanding what was thought possible, building new networks, new appreciations, deeper cross-cultural understandings and solidarities, and inspiring a desire to engage on an international level in future collaborations and exchanges. WP4 has helped the project meet our fifth objective, to "Connect the implementation of UNDRIP in BC, Canada to the established measuring of UNDRIP goals in New Zealand, to create networks that will support enhancing reconciliation, decolonisation and Indigenous rights." Across the work packages we have met our first objective, to "Demonstrate ways Indigenous rights can be upheld in practice by following local priorities around cultural leadership, ancestral governance, language revival and cultural renewal, and create culturally appropriate Indigenous-led outcome measures to determine the success of upholding rights." And our ongoing research will meet our sixth object to "Inform academic understandings of the history of Vancouver Island, and the relationships between heritage, politics, culture, art, language and geography that can actively support Indigenous rights in a meaningful way that reflects Indigenous priorities." |
| Exploitation Route | The research outcomes will be taken forward and put to use by a range of groups. For example, the findings in WP1 will continue to be used and taken forward by the Pentlatch and E'ik?s?n peoples, and our partners BC Parks will use the learnings in their stewardship of the Parks in ancestral territories. WP2 language work will be taken forward by language learners, teachers, and those stepping into roles and responsibilities in the Big House and traditional ceremonies. The findings and outcomes of WP3 are already in use by the Kwakwa_ka_'wakw community in ceremonies. WP4's cultural exchange findings will be taken forward by Ngati Toa and Kumugwe Cultural Society to continue and build on the exchange and experiences. These findings have also informed school districts in Canada and Aotearoa, as well as other Indigenous organizations and government organizations who have invited us to talk on the project and share the findings. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Creative Economy Education Environment Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | The impacts are ongoing. WP1 has had the impact of raising awareness within and beyond the E'ik?s?n and neighboring communities, and with senior staff at BC Parks - the government organization that cares for and manages some key sacred E'ik?s?n cultural sites. It has also had impact upon and informed SD71 School District via talks, publications and staff training. As a result, the School District supported two staff members to participate in the WP4 Cultural Exchange to Aotearoa. The learnings from this research are now informing their practice and work in the school district. WP2 early impacts include distributing language resources at Potlatch and supporting learning for ceremonial speakers. The impacts include supporting the first extended speech of Pentl'ach in ceremony internationally since its reawakening from dormancy in November 2023, spoken by Jesse Recalma on the WP4 cultural exchange to Aotearoa. WP3 has already impacted the local and wider Indigenous communities by reawakening historical and dormant cultural belongings and ceremonies and bringing them back into practice and use in the wider community. The commissioned artworks are already in circulation and are expected to have a long and vibrant legacy. WP4 has had impacts on the participants of the exchange and the wider communities and has also informed local governments, authorities, schools, and institutions. The impacts and follow-on work are expected to be long lived and meaningful on a personal, collective, and international level. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Future Leaders Fellowship |
| Amount | £1,530,334 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/X034186/1 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2025 |
| End | 02/2029 |
| Description | VUW, Aotearoa New Zealand Namala Partnership |
| Organisation | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Canadian based project team hosted the VUW team in Canada for 10 days, during which we created a rich international community engagement and knowledge exchange. |
| Collaborator Contribution | VUW is hosting one of the Co-Is and supported the hosting of the Canadian team and project partners Kumugwe Cultural Society in Aoteaora New Zealand in February 2025, as part of the community engagement and cultural exchange. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary and multi-cultural, bringing together Matauranga Maori, Kwakwakwa'wakw knowledge, E'ik?s?n knowledge, Pent'latch knowledge, and heritage and museology. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Invited guest at Newcastle University to share my research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to share my research with academic colleagues at Newcastle University from a range of disciplines and research associated with heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | MOA UBC Vancouver Talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The talk was for ~20 Post Graduate Students studying ANTH 518 Anthropology Museum Methods at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The research talk sparked a lot of interest, questions and follow-on inquires for opportunities and connections. The university reported that the students were inspired by the future focused nature of the research projects and benefited from learning about the engaged methodological approaches. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to Policy Organisation Aukaha |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The FIRR team (Co-I K Everson, Co-I A Everson and Artist K Everson) present our research to Aukaha, a mana whenua-owned organization that delivers services across the takiwa of our Papatipu Runaka shareholders. The five papatipu runaka from the wider Otago region (Waihao, Moeraki, Puketeraki, Otakou and Hokonui) have come together to create Aukaha, and they focus on 3 key areas health and social services, cultural consultation, and policy and planning, resource consents, cultural impact assessments. The Aukaha team were interested in the work we have done in FIRR on upholding Indigenous rights and responsibilities in Canada, and specifically the work on cultural revitalization, environmental stewardship, language, and cultural exchange. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Queen's High School Dunedin |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | As part of FIRR WP4 Kumugwe Cultural Society shared a cultural performance in Dunedin at Queen's High School - presenting to the school's Maori performing arts programme kapa haka group, He Waka Kotuia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/Kumugwe |
| Description | Research Presentation at Hongoeka Marae, Plimmerton, Wellington, Aotearoa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The FIRR team (PI Onciul, Co-I A Everson, Co-I K Everson, and artist K Everson) presented for 1.5 hours on the research project in Hongoeka Marae, Plimmerton, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. In the audience was many Indigenous Iwi members, representatives from government, businesses, and a range of third sector organizations including cultural enterprise and museums, as well as policy makers, artists, educators, post graduates, and academics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti - language and culture immersion school |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | As part of FIRR WP4 Kumugwe Cultural Society participated in a beautiful cultural exchange with students and staff at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti - language and culture immersion school. there was lots of excitement, discussion and interest in deepening relations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/Kumugwe |