Ancestral Waters

This project was born from two conversations that were happening in the UBC Faculty of Arts simultaneously: the desire to bring Musqueam artwork into Arts spaces and a need to address fatal bird strikes on glass façades around the Buchanan building complex. Our project team secured a UBC Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund grant to partner with a Musqueam artist to create a custom design for the space that would also deter bird strikes on the glass. 

Ancestral Waters by Summer Cannell, a third year Arts student and member of the Musqueam Indian Band, was installed on the site in September 2026. Her artwork is an invitation for visitors and students to learn more about Musqueam culture as they pass through one of the busiest entrances on campus, and an important step in the ongoing relationship between Arts and Musqueam. A plaque with a QR code to resources on Musqueam history and bird safety will be installed nearby, encouraging people to learn more about the land they are on.