uas.alaska.edu UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination. Artwork photography by Ron Klein. Egan Library photography by Ryan Cortes. Design by UAS Creative Agency, 2019 (update) Welcome The William A. Egan Library opened in January, 1990. This booklet describes the library’s Northwest Coast Native Art Collection and two separately funded totems on the UAS campus. The library was named for William A. Egan, who served as Alaska’s governor for 12 years between 1959 and 1974 and devoted nearly fifty years to Alaska politics. An early proponent of statehood, he led the Alaska Constitutional Convention which preceded statehood in 1959. While the library was still under construction, the Alaska Percent for Art in Public Places Committee recommended 14 artists’ propos- als which were approved by the UAS Chancellor and UA Board of Regents. These pieces comprise the library’s native art collection. The University of Alaska Southeast is located on lands originally inhabited by the Aak’w Kwáan Tlingit people. Áak’w Kwáan Aaní káx’. The mission and core values of UAS reflect support of Alaska Native students and an increasing awareness and knowledge of Alaska Native heritage unique to Southeast Alaska. NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST | 1 Level Two 2 Aak’w House Posts Steve Brown and Wayne Price Main Library Entrance (flanking stairs)The house posts, 1 Four Masks carved in red cedar, are derived Edna Jackson from an early Stikine Tlingit style. The four female masks are made Each portrays characters from Tlin- of cedar bark paper. Below the two git legends. Tlingit society is divided center masks are shredded and spun into two sides (moieties), Raven and cedar bark rings which encircle Eagle, with each side subdivided Eagle and Raven. Designs repre- into clans characterized by one or senting Eagle or Raven are painted more emblems or crests. on two of the women’s cheeks. The As you face the house posts, the artist initially deemed her attempts post on the left recalls how Raven at this artwork unsuccessful because stole the sun and carried it into she sought to duplicate traditional the sky. The Dog Salmon is shown carved wooden masks. Paper is not a swimming upstream. On the lower traditional material used in Tlingit portion of the post is Good Luck art. After experimentation in the Woman (L’enaxxeet’ak’w). Tradition paper making medium, however, has it that anyone who comes in she discovered a more successful ap- contact with her will have good luck. proach by focusing on the inherent Misfortune, however, awaits wan- qualities found in handmade paper. dering children who meet her for they are carried away into the forest. 2 | NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST At the base of the post are stacks of wears the bear’s ears and fringed mussel shells from a recent meal. robe as a sign of his role as spiritual The post on the right shows the healer and prophet. Big Dipper in human-animal form The Weasel, the figure at the bottom wearing a crown of stars. The next of the totem, sometimes acts as the figure shows the shaman (Ixt). He Ixt’s helper. NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST | 3 3 Head Canoe Behind Frog is Eagle, Raven’s Steve Brown opposite; on the bow and the stern This red cedar panel (upper wall are figures of Killer Whale. The opposite stairs) symbolizes that all dorsal fin of the rear Killer Whale humans and animals share in the extends above the gunwale, suggest- spirit of life. The canoe carries ing that he is part of the canoe, but some of the animal spirits of Tlingit in some respects, apart from it. On mythology, representing each side of the bow is a human figure grasping Tlingit society and some clans. The the gunwales as he is carried along prominent figure is Raven holding on the supernatural ocean by his the moon in his beak, a reference to spirit friends. The Head Canoe is the story of Raven bringing moon- a reminder of the benefits and kind- light to the world. Next is Bear, ness given by the animal spirits. from the Eagle moiety, clutching the Their gifts include medicines, gunwales of the canoe. Behind Bear dreams, intuitive wisdom, and in- is Frog, from the Raven moiety. spiration that lead mortals through the voyage of life. 4 | NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST 4 Circular Wooden Panels: tease and trick, to woo and win; he Raven and Eagle is clever and he cheats. It is Raven Nathan Jackson who gave the world the sun and the moon, the stars, the rivers and These panels (upper wall flanking lakes, the fish and other animals. reference desk) are made of red cedar and are four-and-a-half feet in Entertaining stories of Raven’s diameter. They are four inches adventures are found along the thick in the center and taper off to a Northwest Coast, throughout Alaska thickness of one-and-a-half inches and even in parts of Siberia. at the edges. In Northwest Coast art, Eagle is a symbol of power and as in life, Raven’s beak is long and prestige and is, in many respects, pointed, while Eagle’s beak is shorter Raven’s opposite. In traditional and curved downward. Tlingit culture, persons must marry Raven is a leading figure in North- opposites: Ravens to Eagles, Eagles west Coast mythology. He is the to Ravens. The panels reflect this trickster and creator; he loves to social balance in Tlingit society. NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST | 5 5 Eagle-Shark Panel acrylic. Graphite was added to the Jennifer Brady Morales black paint to make it glisten like (upper wall near rear) Shark is the traditional charcoal paint. principal crest of the Wooshkeetaan The human figure in the front clan of the Eagle moiety. This dorsal fin depicts a husband while relationship is illustrated by having the figure in the second dorsal fin Eagle’s head and claws form the symbolizes his wife with a lip plug upper portions of Shark. The “S” or labret. The lower pectoral fins shapes on the upper side of Eagle’s show their son and daughter. The wings serve a dual purpose: they children are shown without teeth represent the backbone of Eagle and and only four fingers to symbolize Shark. their immaturity. This combina- This panel is comprised of sixteen tion of family figures, symmetrically yellow cedar boards with the grain balanced in splayed design, honors running vertically. The paint is the importance of clan and family in Northwest Coast societies. 6 | NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST Level One Level One 6 Big Dipper Panels Display Case Nathan Jackson 7 Plaited Utility Basket (upper wall) The Big Dipper (Yax-te) Jan Criswell is an important crest of the Aak’w This square basket is made from Tlingit. The crest is said to have plaited red cedar bark. Northwest been given to the Aak’w’ warriors Coast weavers used various local after a battle near Klawock. The materials for their baskets. Red red cedar panel on the left depicts cedar grows in southern Southeast Raven and the one to the right Alaska and in British Columbia and depicts Bear. The copper discs not was used by Tsimshian and Haida only highlight the animal crest, but craftsmen in making many objects. also show the big dipper in the night Farther north, among the Haida sky over Aak’w village and the city of and Tlingit, most weaving was done Juneau. with spruce roots, as red cedar is seldom found north of Prince of Wales Island. NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST | 7 7 Midwinter Ravenstail 7 Open Weave Clam Robe Basket Cheryl Samuel Jan Criswell The ravenstail style of weaving was This basket (upper right) is made with a predecessor of the technique used spruce roots gathered in Juneau. in making Chilkat robes and tunics. The open weave was designed for The technique had not been used baskets used for harvesting shell- for the past 150 years until its recent fish and other resources so that the revival by artists such as Samuel. items could be washed after being This modern blanket does not use collected. traditional colors or fibers. It repre- sents the colors of the winter beach, 7 Haida Storage Basket with a black warp and silk strands of Mary Lou King mauve, blue-green, steel blue, and This mid-sized storage basket (lower pink. right) is woven from spruce roots The center is black with a design collected in the Juneau area. Baskets in the color of mussel hearts. The such as this were woven in various pattern across the top represents sizes and used for holding house- dark mountains with a single ray hold items. The skip-stitch pattern of golden hope streaming from the in the weaving on the top section is peaks. The long tassels flow with the called st’alaaw in Haida, meaning tides, reflecting the hues of winter slug or snail. light. The collar is trimmed with marten fur. 8 | NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE ART COLLECTION | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST 7 Haida Ceremonial Hat grooved, or kerfed, into four sec- Mary Lou King tions. The wood was then steamed The ceremonial hat is made of or moistened with boiling water woven spruce roots. Since spruce and quickly folded into rectangular roots swell when wet, the hat is form.