Northwest Coast Hall

D. Finnin/© AMNH

The revitalized Northwest Coast Hall features new exhibits developed with Indigenous communities and showcases the creativity, scholarship, and history of the living cultures of the Pacific Northwest.

Organized as a series of alcoves focused on the material culture of 10 Native Nations of the Pacific Northwest, the gallery presents more than 1,000 restored cultural treasures enlivened with new interpretation developed with Consulting Curators from the Coast Salish, Gitxsan, Haida, Haíltzaqv, Kwakwakaw'akw, Nuu-cha-nulth, Nuxalk, Tlingit, and Tsimshian communities.

The Northwest Coast Hall is included with any admission.

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[Slow push in a wide shot of the new Northwest Coast Hall. Many display cases with carvings, masks, regalia and more are visible, along with large monumental carvings and the Museum’s iconic Great Canoe at the far end.]

ḤAA’YUUPS (CO-CURATOR, NORTHWEST COAST HALL, NUU-CHAH-NULTH): I want my great-grandchildren to come here.

[On-screen text reads: “Voice of Ḥaa’yuups, Head of the House of Taḳiishtaḳamlthat-ḥ, Huupa‘chesat-ḥ First Nation, Nuu-chah-nulth, Co-Curator of the Northwest Coast Hall”]

ḤAA’YUUPS: I want them to be proud of where they’re from,

[Lucious greenery along Ward Lake, Alaska, with a wall of coniferous trees in the distance]

ḤAA’YUUPS: proud of who they are, proud of the history of their families and the achievements of our people.

[Scenes from a potlatch in Metlakatla, Alaska: dancers in regalia spread eagle down from their headdresses, two dancers blow eagle down into the air as a dancer dramatically opens a transformation mask, a large group in regalia—including many children—sing to the audience.]

ḤAA’YUUPS: The intelligence of people,

[Hands point out patterns in a Chilkat blanket]

ḤAA’YUUPS: the knowledge of people,

[A different set of hands braid nettle fibers into cordage.]

ḤAA’YUUPS: the science of people in my community.

[A sea plant is pulled out of the water by a person on a boat wearing a shirt with a Native Northwest Coast design.]

ḤAA’YUUPS: So I want that Hall to reflect that reality,

[Closeup of a Northwest Coast mask being carved. A contemporary monumental carving outside a Tsimshian community center.]

ḤAA’YUUPS: …that there’s a different way to think about the world around you.

[Slow push out of the same dramatic shot of the Hall from the beginning of the video. Onscreen text reads, “Northwest Coast Hall at the American Museum of Natural History. Opens May 2022.”]

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Snow-capped mountains in the Northwest Coast region of the United States.

In the Northwest Coast Hall:

The iconic 63-foot Great Canoe, the largest Northwest Coast dugout canoe in existence, newly enhanced with Haida and Haíltzaqv design elements
67 monumental carvings, ranging from 3 to 17 feet tall, expertly restored by Museum conservators with guidance from Native experts
Magnificent examples of Pacific Northwest Coast material culture with interpretation, storytelling, and dynamic media developed with Native scholars, artists, historians, filmmakers, and language experts and new pieces created specifically for the Hall
A rotating gallery of contemporary Northwest Coast Art, opening with Living with the Sea, an exhibit that explores what the ocean means to Northwest Coast peoples, featuring "Whaler's Wife Transforming into a Whale" (2018) by Makah artist Greg Colfax KlaWayHee.
Multimedia displays, including a new 11-minute video by Tahltan/Gitxsan filmmaker Michael Borquin, highlighting the persistence of Northwest Coast peoples and their traditions in the face of challenges
An exhibit featuring works by present-day Native artists demonstrating how traditional art forms are being interpreted by today's generations
Our Voices exhibit highlighting perspectives from Co-Curator Haa'yuups and Consulting Curators on the past, present, and future of life in the Northwest Coast and issues including environmental conservation and racism

The Museum gratefully recognizes the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust, Jill and Lewis Bernard, and the City of New York, whose leadership support has made the restoration of the Northwest Coast Hall possible.

Critical support has also been provided by The Selz Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Family of Ned Hayes.

The conservation of painted monumental carvings has been made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
under grant number MA-30-17-0260-17.

The contemporary art gallery is supported by
the Henry Luce Foundation.

Additional support has been provided by the Nath Family,
the Stockman Family Foundation, Bank of America,
the Gilbert & Ildiko Butler Family Foundation,
and David and Susan Rockefeller.