The Moose-Skin Dome

Project Spotlight: A geometrical dome constructed with 40 triangular frames of moose hide. 

ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔩᑦ ᓄᓇᐃᑦ
A photograph of a person sitting on the ground, holding their knees and gazing up into the Moose-Skin Dome.

The Moose-Skin Dome is a geodesic projection screen that is suspended from the ceiling. The dome consists of 40 triangular frames covered with stretched moose hide in addition to hardware and aircraft cable. Projected on the dome is a 360-video showing the Łutselk’e hide camp, which took place the first week of June 2021. 

The Dome was exhibited at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) for the Indigenous Future: Rooted + Ascending Gala on August 20, 2021 and for the general public on August 21–29, 2021. 

This project was commissioned by Western Arctic Moving Pictures and Dene Nahjo. The Artists involved in this project were Melaw Nakehk’o, Tania Larsson, Casey Koyczan, and Davis Heslep.

A photograph of a person sitting on the ground, holding their knees and gazing up into the Moose-Skin Dome.
Sadetło Scott, the Moose-Skin Dome exhibition, August 2021. PHOTO VINCENT RET.
A photograph of a person laying on the ground looking up into the Moose-Skin Dome.
The Moose-Skin Dome exhibition, August 2021. PHOTO VINCENT RET.
A photograph of two people laying on the ground looking up into the Moose-Skin Dome while four people watch from behind.
The Moose-Skin Dome exhibition, August 2021. PHOTO VINCENT RET.
A photograph of the interior of the Moose-Skin Dome.
The Moose-Skin Dome exhibition, August 2021. PHOTO CASEY KOYCZAN.

About WAMP

Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP) showcases and supports filmmakers and digital creators in the Northwest Territories. WAMP is a membership-based, non-profit Canadian arts organization based in the city of Yellowknife. WAMP’s mission is to produce, support, showcase and promote film, video and digital media in the North.

WAMP aims to help Northwest Territories filmmakers make the right connections, stay informed about funding opportunities, learn more about their craft and develop professional relationships that will help them achieve their full creative potential.

About Dene Nahjo

Dene Nahjo is a Dene collective, composed of predominantly Dene people, based out of Somba K’e, Denendeh. We came together in 2012 during the winter of Idle No More. When the rallies and round dances started to slow down, we continued to meet, and we eventually decided to focus our energies on connecting to land, and (re)learning Dene and Indigenous skills, values and knowledge as a foundation for action. We believe that by connecting to land, language, culture and community, we become stronger, more compassionate and more capable of building free Dene and Indigenous futures. We’ve talked and worked with many people over the years and together we are all working towards similar visions in our own ways.

This story is part of the Northwest Territories Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.