Eagle and Salmon Spirit

Susan point noted in an interview with Art Curator Karen Duffek, in 1985, that: "this is one of the two designs I submitted to the North American Lawyers Convention [held in 1984]...They didn't select this one, they went with the other design I submitted. This is non-traditional, however, the style and motif of the Salish is still there; the forms like the v's, the wedges, and the crescents... The eagle is just an eagle - visual, reality. With all the spindle whorls I've seen, there's always the human face in there, so its incorporated into the body of the eagle to give it more of a Salish look, so to speak."

contemporary art; traditional motifs; guardian spirit complex

Homer Barnett (1955) identifies the eagle as one of the animals that is associated with hunting. However, he also states that skill at fishing is associated with: "the spirit of any fish, including salmon, cod and halibut; also the spirits of some fishing birds and local mythical spirits (1955:148)." The combination of the bird and fish in this design would support the later interpretation.

Silkscreen print of a bird carrying a salmon. The design is circular in shape with the top half in medium grey ink and the bottom half in light grey ink. A narrow black circle surrounds the design. The following is written in pencil underneath the image: 11/80 Coast Salish Design "Eagle and Salmon Spirit" Sept 1985 Susan A. Point.