Doreen May Jensen

Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, 1992

Hahl Yee is the name given to Doreen Jensen by her family, from whom she learned the oral history, language, songs, legends and customs of the Gitxsan people. The name belongs to the Killerwhale family crest from the House of Geel of the Fireweed Clan. Jensen is a widely recognized representative of the First Nations people of B.C. In 1983, she curated a major exhibition at the Museum of Anthropology, Robes of Power: Totem Poles on Cloth and wrote an accompanying book on Northwest Coast art. She has also organized and supervised exhibitions of carving, and narrated video programs for educational use. Artist, curator, writer, teacher, historian and cultural leader, Jensen maintains strong community involvement that includes being a member of the Native Writers Association, Director of the Professional Native Women's Association, Director of the Vancouver Native Development Village, and a founding member of both the 'Ksan Village Association and the Society of Canadian Artists of Native Ancestry. She has also given willingly of her time to serve on countless provincial and federal cultural committees. In recognition of her work, Jensen has been awarded the Golden Eagle Feather from the Professional Native Women's Association and honoured with a name given by James Sewid and his family at one of their potlatches. Jensen received the Woman of Distinction Award for Arts & Culture from the Y.W.C.A. in 1993.

Photo by Alexis MacDonald Seto, 1992