I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson

by Rebecca Bollwitt Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 — 10:24am PDT

The Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA) presents the world premiere of I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson, opening May 14, 2026. Over a brief period from 2005 to 2006, Hazel Wilson created this series of robes, which documents specific episodes of Haida history from a Haida perspective–including narratives of her Haida ancestors, settler colonial acts of oppression, as well as Hazel’s memories of her childhood, gathering and harvesting on the Haida Gwaii landscape.

I Use My Haida Eyes: The History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson

Dates: May 14, 2026 to October 12, 2026
Location: Museum of Anthropology (UBC 6393 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver)
Tickets: Available in person or online.
- MOA will celebrate opening night with free museum admission for all on Thursday, May 14, 2026 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

Curated by ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson (no relation to the artist), MOA Curator, Pacific Northwest + Contemporary Indigenous Art, the exhibition features an epic collection of 50 “history robes” by Jut-ke-Nay–Hazel Wilson (1941–2016), a Haida artist who dedicated her life to Haida cultural and artistic work.

Drawing on the distinctive form and techniques of traditional “button blankets” of the Northwest Coast—robes typically adorned with an individual’s family or clan crests—Hazel Wilson’s works are a radical departure in terms of their representational quality, bringing her practice into the realm of history painting and folk art. The history robes index the innovative ways in which Haida and Indigenous artists continuously expand on traditional forms to speak to a changing world.

“I was filled with wonder when I first encountered Hazel’s series of history robes, as they pull you into Hazel’s world, and are innovative and unexpected in their form. They have an intimate and moving quality, while being far-reaching in their historical depth,” says exhibition curator ɬəkʷəlqinəm–Jordan Wilson. “Twenty years after its creation, this body of work continues to resonate, particularly in depicting a Canadian colonial history whose legacies Indigenous peoples and settlers alike have inherited. The series also portrays the Haida peoples’ deep and ongoing connection to their territory. In bringing together this full series for the first time, this exhibition opens up a larger conversation about Indigenous values and environmental stewardship within our capitalist society’s extractive approach to land and resources.”

While Hazel Wilson’s series of history robes have been displayed in various iterations—and was the focus of a 2022 book Glory and Exile: Haida History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay Hazel Wilson, published by Figure 1 Press and the Haida Gwaii Museum—this is the first time that the entire collection of robes, but one, will be on display at the same time.

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