Thunderbird and Whale: The Archaeology of Nuu-chah-nulth
Whaling
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
University of Calgary
Tom Oliver Room, ES 162, 7:30pm
Dr. Alan McMillan, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser
University
Abstract: Whaling was a central theme in the lives of the Nuu-chahnulth people of western Vancouver Island. It featured heavily in not only their traditional economy but their art, ceremonies, and oral histories. This talk presents recent archaeological research in Barkley Sound, emphasizing evidence of ancient whaling, its development, and its persistence in Nuu chah-nulth art and traditions today.
Alan McMillan is an adjunct professor in the Department of Archaeology at Simon Fraser University. He has conducted extensive research on the archaeology and ethnohistory of Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples, particularly the Nuu-chahnulth of western Vancouver Island, and has written numerous books and monographs, articles, and reports.