1 tonne of Canadian Labradorite Granite

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Life size kneeling Salish Woman

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19 months continuous labour

(over 4200 hours) hand chiselled and oilstone rubbed without the use of a pencil, drawing or model

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1 gallon of Macadamia nut oil

 

 

My sculpture depicts the positive beauty and healing energy of our Salish First Nations culture.

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Since thousands of years the Salish People have used and created smaller ceremonial stone sculptures representing a kneeling or sitting human holding a bowl on their laps. Often animal Totems were a part of the depiction to invoke that particular entity to help towards the blessing. In the past on the ancient figurines a snake or otter or some other image was used but being myself of the Salish “River People” I have shaped her blanket in a reverent depiction of fluid flowing waves giving honour to the many rivers, lakes and ocean of our Salish Mountains and Coast which have blessed and nourished us since millennia. Also I have chosen the Shining Raven = Yamalot Heelah medicine as my chosen spirit totem being placed upon the front of the bowl because of its particular all encompassing compassion towards alleviating the suffering of humanity, especially that of Earth’s children.

 

 I acknowledge and honour the medicine and totems of the past but my Elders have always told me to follow what is in my heart and we now live in a very changed world which requires, perhaps for some of us, a different medicine than what we required in times gone by.

 

My knowledge of the use of these blessing bowl sculptures I received from my Great Auntie Rosaleen George. She was a very valued Elder of the Stah-Lo (Stó:lō) Nation Salish People in Chilliwack B.C. In the end of the 1990’s and onward she came to my home in the Fraser Valley, Canada when my children were newly born babies and blessed them with a special sacred oil in a bowl for a healthy and good life. She told me stories of the past ceremonial use of our Blessing Bowls and how they were depicted.

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In honour of her spirit and life and of the many valuable stories she shared with me I pay homage to her with this sculpture. Without her showing and telling me what she knew I would have never brought into this world once again one of our Salish Speaking Stone People.

 

She, in her very gentle Salish way, suggested to me that if one day I would actually get the chance to sculpt such a figure I need not rigorously follow the ancient imagery or the past medicine used by our ancestors and perhaps portray one of our knowledgeable Grandmothers not as an old lady but rather as she looked when she was young and vibrant. I have listened to her subtle suggestion and strove to represent the fine and wonderful attributes of our Salish ancestors and culture. The Canadian Labradorite that I have used is literally billions of years old (Pre-Cambrian) so I have positively transformed a very old Lady into a very young countenance and appearance compared to her true age. I have also expressed in my work the beauty of our traditional Salish blankets by the figure’s robe and her depicted abalone shell headdress still used and created today. My work is a product of Salish Pride encompassing our ancient symbolism and patiently honouring the proper use of time as my ancestors did while still loving my vocation daily. In accordance with these maxims I have endeavoured to create this stone symbol of goodness and beauty to help others attain a beneficial life blessing through the example of healthy thoughts and spiritual faith and unity as we have humbly followed here in our Salish Homeland since thousands of years.

 

David Seven Deers        May 1st 2020