MUNDURUCU
Along the shores of Haida Gwaii, powerful beings inhabit the sea, the sky and the stories of families. Raven, Eagle, Bear and Killer Whale appear on monumental poles, carved objects and tattooed skin. These figures are more than decoration: crests connect their bearers to inherited names, histories and rights.
Thunderbird and Killer Whale belong to the dramatic imagery of the wider Northwest Coast. In some coastal traditions, the great bird’s wings bring thunder and its struggle with a whale raises the sea. The collection’s historical images capture the force of these beings, but their stories and meanings differ between nations and families.
The double-headed serpent Sisiutl is especially associated with Kwakwaka’wakw traditions, rather than being a universal Haida spirit. Nor can every Thunderbird or serpent be reduced to a fixed opposition between sun and moon. Haida society is organised through Raven and Eagle moieties, each containing distinct clans with their own histories.
Historical portraits show these identities carried on the body: a bear spread across a man’s chest, or animal designs arranged on arms and legs. The same visual language links the tattooed person to the carved house front and the crest pole outside it.