Haida Art Mapping an Ancient Language The complete texts of the exhibition Presented at the McCord Museum From April 29 to October 22, 2006. Table of Contents Introduction 3 1. Life and Art on Haida Gwaii 4 2. Ceremonial Art 7 2.1. Transformations 8 2.2. Containers of Wealth 10 2.3. Potlatch 11 2.4. Mythical Animals 13 2.5. Performance 15 2.6. Crests 17 3. Individual Styles 20 4. Art for Export 21 5. The Shaman's Art 26 6. George Mercer Dawson (1849-1901) 28 7. A Visual Grammar 29 8. Gambling Game 30 9. References 31 10. Credits of the exhibition 32 Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 2 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 Introduction We Haida were surrounded by art. Art was one with culture. Art was our only written language. Throughout our history, it has been the art that has kept our spirits alive. —Robert Davidson On their lush island home off the Northwest Coast, the Haida fashioned a world of outstanding artistic expression, one that sustained them through near annihilation in the late 19th century. This exhibition shines a light on one strand of their rich heritage by presenting an outstanding selection of historic Haida artworks. Most of these objects were collected in 1878 by George Mercer Dawson during his travels in Haida Gwaii. In the past, as today, Haida artists could be male or female. Their creative output was astonishing—carved and painted chests, lifelike masks, finely woven baskets, complex songs and dances, intricate tattoo designs, imposing totem poles. The Haida artworks in the McCord Museum reflect one collector’s tastes, and as the objects are mainly carved and painted, they were likely made by male artists. Contemporary Haida artists are constantly exploring the ancient language of their art; it is the foundation on which new endeavours are built and the grammar with which future histories are written. We asked renowned Haida artist Robert Davidson to guide the selection of historic artworks and discuss their significance. His insights are woven into the exhibition commentary. Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 3 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 1. Life and Art on Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii is a homeland of towering cedar trees, spectacular seascapes, and a rich and diverse array of natural resources. Archaeology places the arrival of the earliest peoples on the Northwest Coast at about 12,000 years ago, as soon the last glacial ice receded. By 5,000 years ago, Haida ancestors were organizing seasonal harvests of salmon and halibut, hunting sea and land mammals, and filling baskets with edible plants. Clams and mussels, available in abundance, were steamed and consumed all year round. Within this bountiful universe, their culture attained great sophistication and complexity, characterized by a growing population, a surplus supply of food, and an emphasis on wealth and status. Permanent villages facilitated the secure storage of food, tools and luxury goods, and allowed specialized craftspeople to devote more time to art. Although objects of carved and painted wood have not survived beyond a few hundred years, discoveries of engraved antler and bone objects dating back 2,500 years show that a recognizable artistic vocabulary already existed at this time. Europeans Spanish explorer Juan Pérez was the first European to sight Haida Gwaii in 1774, followed by British navigator James Cook in 1778. Soon European and American merchants were exchanging clothing, glass beads and steel knives for sea otter pelts and a range of Haida goods, such as canoes, carved bowls and spoons, and painted storage boxes. The Haida first contracted smallpox from these visitors in 1791. Massive devastation did not strike until 1862, however, when travellers to Victoria brought a smallpox epidemic back to Haida Gwaii. Within two years, the population had declined so severely that entire villages were abandoned, leaving survivors to regroup in Masset and Skidegate. Mortar Before 1860 Haida, artist unknown Basalt Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ME892.33.3 When did the Haida begin to imbue all aspects of their world, including the ordinary, with a distinctive aesthetic sense? Why did their artistic production take the form it did? This undecorated mortar was created by pecking and grinding a boulder using stone tools. Despite the difficulty of shaping this material, the artist achieved both a practical and visually pleasing result. Mortar Before 1860 Haida, artist unknown Basalt Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ME892.33.2 This stone mortar, carved to represent a frog, may have been used for grinding burned clamshells to make lime, which was then mixed with flakes of dried native tobacco leaves. The Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 4 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 lime chemically released the psychotropic compounds in the tobacco, creating a mixture that was chewed on ceremonial occasions. Mortar Before 1860 Haida, artist unknown Basalt Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ME892.33.1 A frog is depicted on one end of this stone bowl, while a human being with hands upright is on the other. Stone bowls or mortars in the shape of animals may predate the production of carved wooden bowls, but stone examples continued to be made until the mid-19th century. Seal or fish club 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Yew wood Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ACC1204A The Haida created a considerable body of art that appears to have used carved and painted embellishments to evoke magical or symbolic properties. This club, meant to kill trapped fish or seals, depicts a human being wearing a headdress in the form of a powerful killer whale. Fish club 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Yew wood Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ACC1204B Eagles, whales and seals all consume fish, and therefore artists often represented these intimidating natural hunters on fishing gear. A whale or other sea creature is portrayed on this club, with a human figure as the blowhole. Halibut hook 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Wood, spruce root, sinew, iron Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ACC1239 Fish hooks were often designed and carved in the image of the marine life they were intended to entice. This hook depicts a fisherman with a halibut on his hat and another in his mouth—a clear indication of the desired outcome. Halibut hook 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Wood, spruce root Gift of the Natural History Society of Montreal McCord Museum, M13176 Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 5 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 Halibut hooks were made of two different types of wood. A barb to which the bait would be affixed was lashed to the lighter variety with spruce root. The denser wood was usually carved. Here it represents a cormorant, evoking the power of this skilled ocean diver. Codfish hook and float 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Red cedar, vegetable fibre, spruce root, iron Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ACC1242 For historic Haida artists, the line between practical necessity and aesthetic impulse seems to have been non-existent. This codfish hook is suspended from a wooden float. With minimal carving, the float has been transformed into a seal holding a fish in its mouth. Paint dish Before 1878 Haida, artist unknown Basalt Collected by George Mercer Dawson in Skidegate, 1878 McCord Museum, ACC1206 The Haida artist’s palette has always consisted of three main colours: black, red and blue-green. Traditional mineral-based pigments, or trade pigments such as vermilion, were pulverized in a stone dish, mixed with oils or grease, and then applied with a paintbrush made of porcupine guard hairs. This paint dish depicts a frog. Knife reworked into a chisel 1800-1850 Haida, artist unknown Wood (reworked walnut gunstock?), steel blade (stamped: J. Russell & Co., Green River Works), cotton cloth Collected by George Mercer Dawson, 1878 McCord Museum, ME892.18 Steel blades obtained from traders were mounted in elaborately carved handles. The haft on this reworked blade portrays a thunderbird grasping its tail. An important upper world creature in Northwest Coast beliefs, the thunderbird could cause thunder by flapping its wings and lightning with the flash of its eyes. Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 6 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 2. Ceremonial Art Traditional Haida society was highly structured, reflecting differential access to resources and power, as well as complex religious beliefs about animal and spiritual realms. The Haida were divided into two social groups or moieties-Raven and Eagle-and each of these comprised a number of lineages. Marriages took place between Ravens and Eagles, with children joining their mother's moiety. Permanent winter villages had as many as 40 huge cedar-plank houses arranged in rows along the shoreline, with each house occupied by 25 to 40 family members. The villages were politically independent units, using lineage-owned territories and led by the highest ranking chief. Each lineage granted members entitlement to economic resources such as fishing spots, hunting or collecting areas and house sites. However, the wealth that provided the impetus and context for artistic production came mainly from intangible riches inherited from ancestors: the rights to dances, songs, names, masks and regalia, as well as to crests and other identifying symbols, made visible through the carved and painted creations of artists. Haida Art - Mapping an Ancient Language 7 © McCord Museum of Canadian History, 2006 2.1. Transformations At the heart of Haida belief and art lies the power of transformation. The mythical beings depicted derive their power, in part, from their ability to change their shape and travel from one cosmic realm to another.