Pacific Northwest Coast Native Art by Morris Johnny "EAGLE" 14 Inch

Description

Pacific Northwest Coast
Kwakwaka'wakw
EAGLE plaque  APP. 14" wide
Purchased in Port Hardy BC Canada, directly from Morris Johnny the artist. Well carved Northwest Coast First Nations. Beautiful locally harvested Red Cedar
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CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw
BIRTHPLACE:
Alert Bay, BC
Apprenticed with Beau Dick, Bruce Alfred, Sam Shaughnessy, Don Svanvyc, Joe Pederson, and Joe Wilson.
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CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw
BIRTHPLACE:
Alert Bay, BC Canada
Tsax̱is (Fort Rupert)
Edward Dossetter, 1881, American Museum of Natural History
The Kwaguʼł Chiefs were discussing the creation of their ancestors while waiting for the second course at a feast given by one of the Chiefs at Tsax̱is. At first no one spoke for a while. Then Ma̱lid spoke, saying, "It is the Sun, our Chief, who created our ancestors of all the tribes." And when the others asked him how this was possible, for the Sun never made even one man, the Chief was silent. Others said, "It is Mink, Tłisa̱lagʼlakw, who made our first ancestors. Then spoke the Great-Inviter, saying, "Listen Kwaguʼł and let me speak a really true word. I see it altogether mistaken what the others say, for it was the Seagull who first became man by taking off his mask and turning into a man. This was the beginning of one of the groups of our tribe. And the others were caused when the Sun and Grizzly Bear and Thunderbird also took off their masks. That is the reason that we Kwaguʼł are many groups, for each group had its own original ancestor."
A Chief visiting from the Nawitti disagreed, and the Kwaguʼł of all four groups became angry. For the Nawitti believe that the Transformer (or Creator) went about creating the first ancestors of all the tribes from people who already existed. But the Chiefs of the Kwaguʼł scoffed at this, saying, "Do not say that the Transformer was the Creator of all tribes. Indeed, he just came and did mischief to men, when he made them into raccoon, and land otter, and deer, for he only transformed them into animals. We of the Kwaguʼł know that our ancestors were the Seagull, Sun, Grizzly Bear and Thunderbird."
Adopted from a discussion recorded by George Hunt, 1906