Vintage Paddle depicting Gonakadet (Sea-Wolf), c. 1960
Tlingit Culture
Southeast Alaska
red cedar, pigment
58" long x 8" wide x 1" deep
Gonakadet or Konakadeit, commonly referred to as the Sea-Wolf, is a mythical creature in the Tlingit culture of Southeast Alaska. Also known as Wasgo by the Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Simultaneously strong, generous and humble, the Sea-Wolf was said to bring great luck and wealth to anyone fortunate enough to spy it, or hear its soulful howl.
