Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist Exhibit

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Tuesday, September 17th, 2019
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Opening on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21st), Sidney Museum will be hosting the Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist exhibit, which explores the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George (1899- 1981) and his influence as an Indigenous rights advocate and his career as an actor. The exhibition was developed by the North Vancouver Museum in close collaboration with the George family and has spent the last year at U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay.

Longshoreman, actor, musician, lecturer, poet, activist, environmentalist and First Nations leader; Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot) is remembered for many things. Raised on the Burrard Indian Reserve #3, the son of hereditary chief George Sla-holt, Dan George spent much of his life working as a longshoreman and logger and did not start his acting career until in his 60s. During the 1960s and 70s, he appeared in many television, movie and stage productions in which he worked to promote a better understanding of Indigenous people and challenged their common portrayal on screen. Although focused on Dan George, this exhibition will also delve into significant events and individuals in the Indigenous rights movement in BC and Canada.

The opening ceremony will be held on opening day at 10:00 a.m. and will feature drummers and singers from the TSARTLIP nation, a welcome from First Nations Elders and local Mayors. This exhibit is funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage Museums Assistance Program.

https://www.sidneymuseum.ca/