| Summary: | Butterfly 158 of 299. Moth 158 of 299. From the Artist: Butterfly. "The Ha'mumu is a great crest belonging to my relatives the Speck family. From their prestigious history, their story of a new beginning after surviving the flood tells of a huge butterfly flying down from the heavens and landing on their great ancestor, Numas' head. From there, through spiritual communication, it directed him back to his homelands, which were still mostly submerged by the receding deluge. My relative, Maxine Matilpi, who is the granddaughter of the late great artist and hereditary chief, Henry Speck, asked me why I had never designed a print of a butterfly. I told her I couldn't go and use what solely belonged to their family. It was then that she asked me to design one for her. I felt honored and compelled to do it. This is only a fragment of this powerful story, but I do not feel it is my right to repeat. Therefore, I feel this information is sufficient. I will hear it again from the family and treasure it, as I do them. Gilakas'la'Nula;gadzi.-Wak'analagalis." Moth. "Our Kwakwaka'wakw people see the moth as the physical form of ghosts. Henceforth the traditional name Lo'linuxw, meaning ghost. In an ancient story from our tribe, the 'Namgis, an ancestral hero went to a lake in our vast territories of the Nimpkish Valley to seek supernatural power. It was at this special place where, after fasting and ritual bathing, he purified himself, allowing for spirits to no longer scent him and come into contact with him. Through his suffering, the spirits took pity on him and chose to endow him with special gifts. One spirit that appeared to him was a huge moth that rose from the depths of the lake and offered him the Dance of the Ghosts. This great privilege was taken along with the others to become the rites of his descendants to come. This story, which is very long and has much detail and beauty in it, is the inspiration for this design. I have put ghost faces into the design to connect my work with our history and beliefs." About the Artist: "William Wasden Jr. (Wak'analagalis) is a member of the 'Namgis of the Kwakwaka'wakw people, and is a descendant of the Alfred, Hunt and Cook families. He can also trace his ancestry to the Tlingit of Alaska and the Mowachat of the West Coast. He has been initiated into the Hamat'sa society, the highest ranking of the complex dance societies of the Kwakwaka'wakw. His artisitic abilities have been refined through working with Chief Doug Cranmer, Don Yeomans, Bruce and Wayne Alfred and with Beau, Francis and Simon Dick. Wasden's traditional influences include Bob Harris, Herbert Johnson, Mungo Martin, Willie Seaweed, Henry Speck and George Walkus. Wasden works full-time at his art in a variety of media. He has a great interest in singing and in preserving the songs of his people." Information supplied by the Ancestral Spirits Gallery, Port Townsend, WA. Ancestral Spirits Gallery, 701 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 368-385-0078 Omnibus@olympus.net http://www.ancestralspirits.com Butterfly and Moth are two of five pieces by William Wasden Jr. donated by Norman and Louise Rose. The others are titled "Dragonfly & Bee," and "Loon."
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