First Nations. Arts and Cultures of the Pacific Northwest

Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, 37, quai Jacques Chirac

Across about 1,800 kilometers of coastline and through around forty languages, the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest have made their art a sacred language, filled with spirits and totemic figures. Without agriculture or writing, they developed sedentary, complex societies based on the abundance of natural resources: salmon, candlefish, marine mammals, and vast cedar forests. This wealth enabled an elaborate way of life and original thinking. Their art, deeply linked to their worldview, brings their stories to life on stage…