K’umała
Francis Dick
1989
U990.14.228

K’umała means wealth and this print is a story of wealth. The wolf in this print is Kawadelekala. The Kawadelekala story belongs to the Dick family from Kingcome Inlet, specifically to my late grandmother Anitsa. This print only depicts a small part of Kawadelekala’s story.

Here, Kawadelekala was told by an old man that there was going to be a great flood. Once he was told this, he decided to find a mountain and store his sacred treasures in a box on top of this mountain where the flood would not reach. Kawadelekala stored the box on top of the mountain Kaxsi’dze’. The flood came and went far over the mountain, higher than Kawadelekala anticipated. Once the flood retreated, the box turned to stone.

This mountain can be seen from the valley in Kingcome and it is in the shape of a box. Time has worn it down somewhat but you can still recognize it, especially with fresh snow.

[Dick from the Cedar Hill Long House Gallery Website http://www.cedarhilllonghouse.ca/product/kumala-artist-proof]