| Summary: | Our people believe in a time when our ancestors wore the clothes of animals. They could take off their animal skin and become human and put that skin back on and return to their animal form. Many of our crest figures harken back to this era of transformation.In the time before the flood, our ancestors could shapeshift into other creatures or objects. One of the common shapeshifters in our history is the trickster raven. While often getting into mischief, he also contributed in setting up the world as we know it today. By transforming himself into a pine needle, for instance, he was ingested by a chief’s daughter, impregnated her and managed to release the sun from a box held in the chief’s possession. The remnants of shapeshifting and transformation can still be seen today in many rocks, rivers, mountains and streams where the old people were changed to become part of the landscape.As a dancer, I also recognize the power of our songs and regalia to transform ourselves into other creatures. I know the feeling of donning a mask and entering the floor of the Bighouse. I have felt a roar come through me as a I dance the Grizzly Bear and have witnessed dancers become ravens as they hop across the floor. A mask no longer remains wood but instead becomes flesh and feathers. The dancer ceases to be human and shapeshifts into another being altogether.Andy Everson was born in Comox, BC in 1972 and named Na̱gedzi after his grandfather, the late Chief Andy Frank of the K’ómoks First Nation. Andy has also had the honour of being seated with the ‘Na̱mg̱is T̓sit̓sa̱ł'walag̱a̱me' name of Ḵ̓wa̱mxa̱laga̱lis I'nis. Influenced heavily by his grandmother, he has always been driven to uphold the traditions of both the K’ómoks and Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw First Nations. In this regard, Andy has pursued avenues where he can sing traditional songs and perform ceremonial dances at potlatches and in a number of different dance groups, most notably the Le-La-La Dancers, the Gwa'wina Dancers and the K’umugwe Dancers.Pursuing other areas of traditional culture has also led Andy to complete a Master’s degree in anthropology. Because the K’ómoks First Nation lies on the border between the larger Salish and Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw realms, his thesis focused on notions and expressions of contemporary Comox identity. His work in anthropology provided him with a background in linguistics which subsequently inspired him to create a company, Copper Canoe, Inc, that specialized in the creation of Aboriginal language media.Andy feels that his artwork stands on par with these other accomplishments. Although he began drawing Northwest Coast art at an early age, Andy's first serious attempt wasn’t until 1990 when he started designing and painting chilkat-style blankets for use in potlatch dancing. From these early self-taught lessons, he has tried to follow in the footsteps of his Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw relatives in creating bold and unique representations that remain rooted in the age-old traditions of his ancestors. The ability to create and print most of his own work has allowed Andy to explore and express his ancestral artwork in a number of contemporary ways.You can see more of his work at www.andyeverson.com
|
|---|