Children of the Raven

The Haida myth on the origins of the first people states that Raven was on the sandy beach of Rosespit, in the Queen Charlotte Islands, one day when he heard a sound coming from a clamshell at his feet. The clam began to open its valves and a horde of tiny people stepped out and spread around the Island. Raven was well pleased because he had brought forth the first people on the island. The original design was created for the National Museum of Man on the occasion of the opening of its Westcoast Hall in November 1976.

contemporary art

Raven with profile head, frontal body and wings extended to sides is perched atop a clamshell with semi-circle of seven humanoid figures, ovoid with straight parallel lines around rim and an animalistic face inside. Raven: thick black form lines with red as secondary colour except on legs; u shaped ear atop head has interior split u; eyes have black frontal ovoid faces in pointed eyelid lines; upper beak has profile face; human hand in front of face; tongue between upper and lower beak; designs along jaw line; vertical ovoid in each wing contains a broken 'broken beak face'; wing tips curl around sides of shell. Clamshell: seven frontal humanoid figures, identical in form, have circular bodies and curvilinear arms and legs terminating in hands and two claw feet. Face inside shell has thick black brows, pointed eyelid lines, downturned crescent shape within ovoid pupils, broad nostril nose, bent lip band, teeth and protruding tongue. In pencil at base of image: 146/195 Bill Reid -'77. Circular embossed stamp at lower corner on right states Canadian Native Prints Limited around edge, salmon image at centre. Decal edge around entire print.