Spirit of Haida Gwaii
| The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Black Canoe | |
|---|---|
| outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Photo: Bengt Oberger | |
 | |
| Artist | Bill Reid |
| Year | 1986 |
| Type | Bronze,plaster |
| Dimensions | 3.89 m × 3.48 m × 6.05 m (12 ft 9 in × 11 ft 5 in × 19 ft 10 in) |
| Location | Canadian Museum of History,Washington, D.C.andVancouver |
| 38°53′35″N77°01′06″W/ 38.893056°N 77.018333°W | |
TheSpirit of Haida Gwaiiis a sculpture byBritish ColumbiaHaidaartistBill Reid(1920–1998). There are two versions of it: the black canoe and the jade canoe. The black canoe features onCanadian $20 bills[1]of theCanadian Journeyseries issued between 2004 and 2012.
Background[edit]
The sculpture was originally created in 1986 as a1⁄6-scale clay model, enlarged in 1988, to full-size clay. In 1991, the model was cast in bronze. This first bronze casting was entitledThe Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Black Canoeand is now displayed outside theCanadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.The second bronze casting, entitledThe Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Jade Canoe,was first displayed at theCanadian Museum of Historyin 1994. Finally, in 1996, theJade Canoe(as it is generally called) was moved to the International Terminal atVancouver International Airport.
The original plaster pattern for the sculpture is on display in the main hall of the Canadian Museum of History.[2][3]
On 30 April 1996 Canada Post issuedThe Spirit of Haida Gwaii, 1986–1991, Bill Reidin the Masterpieces of Canadian art series. The stamp was designed by Pierre-Yves Pelletier based on a sculptureThe Spirit of Haida Gwaii(1991) by William Ronald Reid in the Canadian Embassy, Washington, United States. The 90¢ stamps are perforated 12.5 mm × 13 mm and were printed byAshton-Potter Limited.[4]
An image of the sculpture features prominently on the reverse of the 2004 edition of theCanadian twenty-dollar bill.These bills are no longer issued; a new design entered use in 2012.
Sculpture[edit]
The Spirit of Haida Gwaiiis intended to represent theAboriginalheritage ofHaida Gwaii,formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands. In green-coloured bronze on the Vancouver version and black-coloured on the Washington version, it shows a traditional Haida cedardugout canoewhich totals six metres in length. The canoe carries the following passengers:Raven,the traditionaltricksterofHaida mythology,holding the steering oar;MouseWoman, crouched under Raven's tail;Grizzly Bear,sitting at the bow and staring toward Raven; Bear Mother, Grizzly's human wife; their cubs, Good Bear (ears pointed forward) and Bad Bear (ears pointed back);Beaver,Raven's uncle;DogfishWoman;Eagle;Frog;Wolf,claws imbedded in Beaver's back and teeth in Eagle's wing; a small human paddler in Haida garb known as the Ancient Reluctant Conscript; and, at the sculpture's focal point, the humanShaman(orKilstlaaiinHaida), who wears the Haida cloak and woven spruce root hat and holds a tall staff carved with images of Seabear, Raven, and Killer Whale.
Consistent with Haida tradition, the significance of the passengers is highly symbolic. The variety and interdependence of the canoe's occupants represents the natural environment on which the ancient Haida relied for their very survival: the passengers are diverse, and not always in harmony, yet they must depend on one another to live. The fact that the cunning trickster, Raven, holds the steering oar is likely symbolic of nature's unpredictability. The sculpture is 6 metres (20 ft) long, not quite 4 metres (13 ft) from the base to the top of the Shaman's staff, and weighs nearly 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb).[5]
References[edit]
- ^"Bill Reid Gallery | Bill Reid Foundation".
- ^"Civilization.ca - Grand Hall - Spirit of Haida Gwaii".
- ^Tepper, Leslie (2014).The Grand Hall: First Peoples of Canada's Northwest Coast.Library and Archives Canada. p. 36.ISBN9780660202792.
- ^Canada Post stamp
- ^"The Spirit of Haida Gwaii".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-04-25.
