2000
Edition 2/6
Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions.
Humans appear in many oral traditions across the Northwest Coast, often as heroes and legends. These figures are depicted in many ways. Some figures might represent a chief or shaman while others an ancestor. Ancestors are incredibly important in Northwest Coast culture; thus, you will often see human portraits in the artwork depicting an ancestor figure. Free standing Human figures can range in size from small amulets to large scale poles several feet high. As amulets they are often a guardian symbol whereas the larger human figures can represent a welcoming figure. Human-like personifications of sun and wind are common in Northwest Coast artwork as well.
Frog is a creature of great importance on the Northwest Coast. Frogs are social and vocal creatures and are typically seen as the communicators of the animal world. They often symbolize communication and represent the voice of the people. Frog is also associated with versatility as it lives in both water and land. In Northwest Coast artwork, Frog is sometimes depicted with its tongue going into the mouth of another figure as a visual reference for sharing knowledge. Frog is generally given large eyes, prominent lips with a projecting tongue and webbed feet.
