Sisiutl Canoe Carrying Winalagalis and His Wife, c. 2000
by Nakwesee (Leanne Smith), Cherokee and adopted Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation
walrus ivory, fossil walrus ivory, agate base
3.5” high x 8.5“ long x 4” diameter
Winalagalis is the Warrior God of the Kwakwaka'wakw people of British Columbia. He comes from Northern underworld to winter with the Kwakwaka'wakw people. Winalagalis is the bringer and ruler of Tseka (Winter Ceremonial), and imbues red cedar bark with supernatural power.
Winalagalis is associated with a magical war canoe that is the transformational embodiment of Sisiutl, the Double Headed Sea Serpent. This magical canoe can fly, and can travel underground, and is permanently fused with Winalagalis.
Winalagalis is always announced to the ceremony by whistles & roars that imitate his voice. His ceremonies include the Tuxwid and Hawinalal warrior invincibility dances, and the Ma'maka (disease thrower) dance.
Nakwesee (Leanne Smith) is an ambassador of native culture. Her carvings draw heavily from the art and legends of the Kwakwaka'wakw people without shying away from innovation or modern technique. Most of her work is carved with hand tools, minimally using power tools. Her images use animals from the Pacific Northwest (salmon, otters, bears, whales), as well as shamans and supernatural figures from the Kwakwaka'wakw culture.
Nakwesee is as intriguing as her work. She comes from a family of artists and began carving at the age of 12. Her mother, Patty Fawn, and her uncle Chief Lelooska, the founder of the Lelooska Foundation, an organization devoted to education and preservation of native culture, helped to instill in her a wonderful creativity and sense of design.
