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.
Sisiutl (or Sisiyutł) is a powerful supernatural double-headed sea serpent in the mythology of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, particularly the Kwakwakaʼwakw. It symbolizes transformation, invincibility, and the precarious balance between the natural and supernatural worlds
