Vintage Pacific Northwest Indian, indigenous Native American, First Nations people, British Columbia, Canadian artwork titled "Raven Stealing The Sun", by Haida / Tsimshian artist Marion Spinney. Wall panel artwork is acrylic formline painting on 3/4" thick Red Cedar wood board measuring 11 1/4 x 10 1/8 inches. There is a suede leather hanger on the back as well as added screw eyes and picture wire. There never was a frame.
This is Northwest Native crest symbol / clan design / 'totem animal' art featuring The Raven. In Northwest Coast Communities, stories are told about the Raven and his achievements. One of the best stories is how the Raven stole the light in the form of the sun, the moon, and stars and then he placed the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky for all beings to enjoy. The Pacific Northwest (PNW / Cascadia) is in western North America, encompassing the states of Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
The precious panel offered here beautifully portrays the Adaawx or oral history of the Haida, Tsimshian and Gitxsan peoples. The artist, Marion Spinney, has also documented The Raven story in writing on the back of the panel. Spinney writes that this one is a 'Ksan Indian Design, called "Raven Stealing The Sun". The Ksan are Gitxsan or Interior Tsimshian people & Ksan Village was where the Kitanmax School of Northwest Coast Indian Art was. The panel offered here is vintage, likely from the 1970's, and while specifics from the pre-internet days aren't things I can find, it seems to me that Marion Spinney was an accomplished student of Ksan's Kitanmax School teachings. In the painted panel here, a story is shared, to be passed down through generations. This panel tells the tale of We-gyet, the Raven, who courageously steals the sun to bring change to the world. This vibrant artwork serves as a reminder of the resilience, creativity, and deep connection to the land that Indigenous communities uphold. One of the great things about the aesthetic of this panel is that the artist strove to emphasize the grain of the Western red cedar wood. There is such a reverence for the precious cedar tree amongst Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest, and this wall panel acknowledges that.
Marion Spinney was both a Haida and Tsimshian (Tsimpsean) First Nations aka Indian artist. In this artwork and another I have (see my other eBay listing), the design relates to the Ksan (Gitanmaax) village Gitxsan (Gitsan; Gitksan) people. This village is where the Kitanmax (‘Ksan) School of Northwest Coast (Indian) Art was. It was located just outside of Hazleton, BC, at the village of 'Ksan. You didn't have to be Native American to be a student of (and practice) Ksan art as, for example, Abu Ghriab aka Rex Silvernail (1941-2013) attended the school. I think it's nice that Marion Spinney was, as a Tsimshian Indian, like a cousin to the Gitksan people of Ksan, but what might be called 'tribal affiliation' wasn't necessary to practice Gitksan / 'Ksan art/design. One excellent example of this is with Roy Henry Vickers, who like Marion Spinney, is Tsimshian but is influenced by and practices Gitksan-style art.
It's likely that the 'Ksan style of art and even the stories depicted are actually Tsimshian, Tlingit, or pre-Gitksan, in origin. The way the history goes is that many thousands of years ago, the early Wolf and Raven Clan peoples, who spoke a Dene language, eventually moved down the Stikine River to the coast where they encountered the Tlinget-speaking Eagle Clan people. These groups built paired villages. The Wolf, Raven, and Eagle clan people began moving south along the coast where they encountered Ts’imsian-speaking people. The coastal people were led by Chief Ts'ooda. When these 4 groups joined, the foundation was laid for the social structure the Gitksan have today. Before the Gitksan villages were established, people of these early groups lived in a large village, Tx'emlax'amid. The Gitksan don't have a Raven clan (like the Tsimshian people do) - their 4 clans are: Frog, Eagle, Wolf and Fireweed.
Spinney was from Prince Rupert, BC, Kaien Island, near the panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast. Coast Tsimshian occupation of the Prince Rupert Harbour area spans at least 5,000 years. As of the 2001 Canadian census, among Canadian municipalities with a population of 5,000 or more, Prince Rupert had the highest percentage of First Nations population.
Being from Prince Rupert, Spinney could possibly be of Coast Tsimshian descent, although I don't know the personal details. Coast Tsimshian people would have a different dialect than Interior Tsimshian people called Gitksan, but they speak the same Penutian language. It's about a 3 hour drive from Hazeleton to Prince Rupert. It's possible that Gitxsan people and Coast Tsimshian people consider themselves to be somewhat different. The Tsimshianic peoples (Northern Mainland) include both Tsimshian (Sm'algyax speaking) and Gitxsan (Gitxsanimaax speaking). Although, it's also said that 'Sim Algyax' is the language spoken by the Gitxsan, the Nisga'a, and the Tsimshian.
The Gitxsan people speak Sim Algyax. The language is often called Gitxsanimx or Gitxsanimax. Sim Algyax is the language family that is spoken amongst the First Nation’s people all up and down the Skeena River and in the Nass Valley. Amongst the three nations the languages are called Gitxsanimx (or Gitxsanimax), Sim’algyaxhl Nisga’a, Sm’algyax (Tsimshian), and Skiixs (Southern Tsimshian). Within the Gitxsan territory there are two main dialects – Geenix and Gyeets – eastern and western or upriver and downriver. Coast Tsimshian language = Sm'algyax, Tsimshian, Coast Tsimshian, Chimmezyan, Zimshian, Coast Tsimshian, Sm'algyax, Tsimshean, Tsimpshean, Ts'emsia'n, Maritime, Lower Tsimshianic. Some consider this a dialect of Tsimshian and consider Tsimshian a single language. Tsimshianic languages are considered by most linguists to be an independent language family, with four main languages: Coast Tsimshian, Southern Tsimshian, Nisg̱a’a, and Gitksan.
In their artwork, the striking similarities among the Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian styles are apparent. Many of today’s Master artists participated in or attended the activities at the ‘Ksan School of Northwest Coast Indian art. Vernon Stephens, an Indigenous artist from Hazelton, BC, was one of the main instructors at the famous Gitanmaax School of Northwest Coast Art throughout the 1970’s. Other master artists include Ken Mowatt, Walter Harris, Earl Muldon and Art Sterritt (who now lives in Prince Rupert).
Marion Spinney's artwork reminds me very much of Ken Mowatt and Vernon Stephens' works. I'm unsure if the designs were invented by them, if they're old traditional designs, or otherwise. Usually, we only see prints by Mowatt and Stephens on the market. So, I don't know if or when any of their paintings will ever be for sale. Either way, this painting by Spinney would be a nice choice, too. To me, it has a Mid-century Modern (MCM) look that brings to mind abstract painting and even woodworkers such as Nakashima.