Gwaii Haanas, Handing Back the Name, Tanu, 2016 *

One morning over breakfast at our camp on Kunga Island, Gwaii Haanas, April White Sgaana Jaad, told us the story of Handing Back The Name in a ceremony held in Old Masset.
The name Queen Charlotte Islands had been placed in a bentwood box and ceremonially touched by Haida hereditary chiefs before being handed over by a young Haida lady to then BC Premier Gordon Campbell, who had been invited to come up for the event.
It was very emotional for me to hear this deeply moving story, this was our second day in Gwaii Haanas and the spirits were just beginning to whisper to us. We had landed at Tanu the afternoon before and on a quick tour of the village this grouping of trees had caught my eve; even though I did not know why at the time.
The next day after hearing that story and being deeply moved by it, I knew why when I saw the trees again. They had become the story. I placed my canvas on the cut wood and did an 18″ x 18″ acrylic sketch from which this painting was developed.