Spirit of the Taku
Spirit of the Taku
Susan Point (2004)
U010.14.7
This is a very personal image, inspired by the many rafting trips I have made on the Taku River with my family. Teeming with life, the Taku River flows from Alaska through to northern BC.
I have had many spiritual experiences on the Taku, including an exceptionally close encounter with a grizzly bear and a chance to see what I call The Spirit of the Taku, a completely white bald eagle.
The image draws on a traditional Salish weaving design echoing the constant movement of the river. The design flows through the form of the eagle itself, drawing attention to the connection between the eagle and his environment. Within the wings of the eagle there are two salmon heads (traditionally depicted in pairs for good luck). This image reminds us that we are all linked, both to our environment – and to all the living creatures that share it.
– Susan Point
Susan Point (born 1952) is a Coast Salish artist based on the Musqueam First Nations Reserve. Point began her career in 1981 in jewellery, serigraphs, and paintings. Eager to reinvigorate interest in her own peoples art style, Point chose to concentrate on the traditional designs and elements created by her ancestors while applying a more contemporary aesthetic and experimentation with techniques and materials such as paper, glass, bronze, wood, concrete, polymer, stainless steel, and cast iron. Point’s innovative approach to traditional forms and myths has led to an international reputation and has inspired many of the new generation of Northwest Coast artists.