The Museum of Anthropology (MOA)

Established in 1949 but was not an explicit museum; it acted as a place to store collected Indigenous belongings, in the basement of the old Main Library. The museum finally moved to its current location in 1976 and has faced multiple upgrades and developments since its curation in 1949.

MOA’s purpose was to foster understanding and appreciation of world cultures, with a particular focus on the artistic and cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples in BC and beyond. The colonial history of MOA is a similar history to the lands UBC currently stands on, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation). 

Although the purpose of the space was to highlight and learn about Indigenous cultures globally, there were, and still are, gaps that colonial entities cannot fill without consultation and implementation done by Indigenous peoples themselves. 

There were potential environmental harms though the development of MOA, the land in which it sits was permanently altered by its development, but the current upgrades and logistics have taken a more “sustainable” route to ensure less environmental degradation for the land surrounding and housing the museum. 

Some concealed histories of MOA, is how the museum “lends” out artifacts and materials to Indigenous nations for traditional ceremonies, research, and art. 

 MOA even goes as far as providing virtual access to belongings and objects, making it accessible to anyone! Check out MOA for a multitude of Indigenous culture and history, decolonizing your own frameworks of history and art local to Turtle Island!