Guest Artist Talk: Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is an award-winning author and contemporary visual artist. In addition to numerous private collections, institutions that have acquired Yahgulanaas' works for their permanent collections include the British Museum in London, the Humboldt Forum Foundation in Berlin, the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, the Seattle Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, Vancouver Art Gallery, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Yahgulanaas’ unique approach is inspired by almost four decades of elected and appointed political experience in the Council of the Haida Nation and the Old Massett Village Council. Although now an Elder, he continues to be guided by a lineage of accomplished artists and hereditary leaders. His international work includes leading the Global Cultural Assembly in Berlin, a project creating progressive strategies to include Indigenous Peoples worldwide in the governance of cultural heritage institutions. He is also pleased to have any opportunity to work more closely with his nephew, Chris Auchter, on film and animation projects; such collaborations are very proper within the Haida Nation.