Sun appears often in Northwest Coast art and features prominently in myths,
often acting as a benevolent spirit guide. Sun is often, but not always,
depicted as masculine in nature. Among the Nuu-chah-nulth, Sun and Moon,
who are married, represent the highest power. This is one of the rare
instances where Sun is personified as female.

Among the Nuxalk, the supreme being and master of the sky world
is sometimes called Sun. This is an original, uncreated being, who at the
beginning of the world placed four supernatural Master Carpenters
of varying species on four separate mountaintops to create the world and
found the Nuxalk clans.

Many Salish considered Day, Daylight, or Sky to be the supreme supernatural
entity. Sun could appear to an individual disguised in human or animal form
and bestow great spirit power.

Sun is not a very common crest, except perhaps among the Kwakwaka'wakw
where it figures in some lineages as an ancestor. One myth speaks of an
illustrious sky-dwelling ancestor who each morning dons a glorious cloak of
abalone shell and walks across the firmament.

Sometimes Sun is personified as a very elderly man: the Sun costume will
show old man Sun dressed for ceremony (that is, ornamented with copper
or abalone shell), and the dancer playing the part of Sun will walk the stage
slowly, as an old man might.

Although the Kwakwaka'wakw regard Sun as an old man, he nonetheless
retains his impressive power in myths that honor his creative potency. A
single sunbeam is strong enough to impregnate a woman. Mink, for example,
is a Son of Sunshine.

Some stories recount the time when Sun was young, headstrong and impulsive.
As a no=naughty child, Sun moved so fast and recklessly across the sky that he
angered his Auntie Clouds, whose retreat from their guardianship posts resulted
in the world receiving terrible burns.

Many myths recall a time when Sun overwhelmed and scorched the earth and its
inhabitants. Clever heroes inevitably save the world, bringing relief through the
the creation of cloud, fog and night.

In Haida myth, Sun was stolen by Raven, who took it from an old man who kept
it in a box, and subsequently released it to illuminate the world for the general
benefit of humankind.

In the art, Sun is characterized by a round face with any number of surrounding
rays, or at least the suggestions of rays. The rays may be shown in the shape of
hands, which expresses the creative and benevolent nature of Sun. On occasion,
artists give the sun the face of a human, Eagle, or Raven. Whatever, the countenance,
Sun depictions tend to exhibit regular, formal, ideal, features, which are generally
humanoid except for the beakish, hooked nose. Sun is sometimes associated with
copper or Coppers, and may feature copper decorative elements.