Through textiles, clothing, and other forms of visual design, Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations employ a powerful visual vocabulary to declare rights, sustain oral history traditions, and assert their continued presence along the west coast of what is colonially known as Vancouver Island. Settler colonialism and capitalist expansion have brought environmental destruction, theft of lands, and aggressive assimilationist policies, but also access to new kinds of materials, markets, and design ideas. This lecture will explore Nuu-chah-nulth design as a form of visual sovereignty—that is, self-representation that creatively resists and challenges oppressive forces, while also declaring rights to territories, natural resources, histories, and livelihoods.

Denise Nicole Green is an Associate Professor at Cornell University in the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design and Director of the Cornell Fashion + Textile Collection.