Kwakiutl Wooden Long Boat With Abalone Inlay. 

Size: 15 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. 

#7282 . 

The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw (also known as the Kwakiutl) are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their current population, according to a 2016 census, is 3,665. Most live in their traditional territory on Vancouver Island and the adjacent British Columbia mainland. Their language, now spoken by only 3.1% of the population, consists of four dialects of what is commonly referred to as Kwakʼwala. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw oral history says their ancestors (ʼnaʼmima) came in the forms of animals by way of land, sea, or underground. When one of these ancestral animals arrived at a given spot, it discarded its animal appearance and became human. Animals that figure in these origin myths include the Thunderbird, his brother Kolas, the seagull, orca, and grizzly bear (also known as chief ghost), and form the bulk of the art and culture that the Kwakiutl produced. The early Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw lifestyle and economy was based primarily on fishing, hunting, and gathering. Ornate weaving and woodwork were important crafts, and wealth in the form of slaves and material goods was prominently displayed and traded at potlatch ceremonies. The first documented contact with Europeans was with Captain George Vancouver in 1792, and diseases from settlers along the West Coast of Canada killed roughly 75% of the Kwakiutl population by the mid 19th Century. The Kwakʼwala language, part of the broader Wakashan language group, declined significantly in the late 19th Century, mainly due to the assimilation policies of the Canadian government. Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw children were forced to attend residential schools, which enforced the English language and customs. Restoring their ties to their land, culture, and rights in the late 20th Century, the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw have undertaken much in bringing back their customs, beliefs and language. Potlatches occur more frequently as families reconnect to their birthright, and the community uses language programs, classes, and social events, as well as burgeoning tourism, to rebuild and support their way of life. Native artists, particularly Mungo Martin, Ellen Neel, and Willie Seaweed have made great strides in reviving Kwakiutl art and culture. In the old times the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw believed that art symbolized a common underlying element shared by all species. Kwakiutl arts consist of a diverse range of crafts, including totems, masks, textiles, jewelry and carved objects, ranging in size from transformation masks to enormously tall totem poles. Cedar wood was the preferred medium for sculpting and carving projects as it was readily available in the region. Totems were carved with bold cuts, a relative degree of realism, and an emphatic use of paints, often bright blues, reds, greens, and yellows. Masks make up a large portion of Kwakiutl art, as masks are important in the portrayal of the characters central to dance ceremonies and societal initiations. Woven textiles included the Chilkat blanket, dance aprons and button cloaks, each patterned with Kwakiutl designs. The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw used a variety of objects for jewelry, including ivory, bone, abalone shell, copper, silver and more, many of which have become highly sought after by collectors and researchers.