Nootka, an island off the coast of Vancouver, is a historical site of indigenous resistance against Western powers, similar to Ganghwa Island in Korea. When the naval forces of Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain discovered the island in 1774, an indigenous leader reportedly shouted ‘Nuu-tka!’—meaning ‘go around’—which the invaders misinterpreted as the island’s name, resulting in ‘Nootka.’ This video work presents a 360-degree view of the beautiful, uninhabited island while narrating the inescapable history of imperial dominance and indigenous defeat, mirroring the ironies of Western society.
