Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist
The Dare
For Canada’s 150 anniversary, the North Vancouver Museum and Archives explored the legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George, a ferocious critic of Canadian Confederation. hh
Double Dare was asked to design an exhibit that honours the Chief’s influence as an advocate of First Nations rights and acknowledges other significant figures, events and milestones in the Indigenous rights movement in North Vancouver.The Outcome
Working closely with curatorial staff, we designed an exhibit that made effective use of the Museum’s space and existing assets, including furniture from the collection.
The lobby introduced guests to the relationship of the local First Nations with Canada, and their fight for Indigenous rights. The West Gallery focused on Chief Dan George, and his multi-faceted life as a leader, family man, logger, actor, and activist.
The multi-faceted nature of his life was shown in a rich montage of personal artifacts, archival images, paintings, movie posters, music and film. To further celebrate his colourful personality – and wardrobe – we activated the space with a bold colour palette.
We oversaw much of the production and installation of the exhibit, including overseeing budgets, schedules and suppliers.
