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- Raven:
- Most important of all creatures to the coast Indians peoples was Raven.
It was Raven-the Transformer, the cultural hero, the trickster, the Big Man
(he took many forms to many peoples)-who created the world. He put the
sun, moon and stars into the sky, fish into the sea, salmon into the rivers,
and food onto the land; he maneuvered the tides to assure daily access to
beach resources. Raven gave the people fire and water, placed the rivers,
lakes and cedar trees over the land, and peopled the earth.
Full of magical, supernatural power, Raven could turn himself in anything at
any time. He could dive beneath the sea, ascend into the sky, or make
anything happen by willing it. His legendary antics were often motivated
by insatiable greed, and he loved to tease, to cheat, to woo, and to trick.
But all too often the tables were turned on the hapless Raven.
As well as being deeply embodied in the mythology of the entire Northwest
Coast, Raven is also an important totem figure of prestige, and is one of the
two main crests of the Haida on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
In the past, Raven was probably portrayed more often, and in more ways,
than any other creature of legend. Today, Indian carvers, jewelers and print
makers still hold a fondness for the wily Raven, and feature him often in
their works of art.
Raven is distinguished by a fairly long, straight beak having a blunt or short
turned-down tip, and usually a tongue. A sun disc in the partially open beak
is a reminder that Raven flew with it in his beak and tossed it into the sky to
bring light to the world. The moon or fire also can be represented by a circle
in Raven's beak.
Stewart, Hilary. Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast. Seattle: Univeristy of Washington
Press, 1979.
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