Guy Louie Jr.
Nuu-chah-nulth Nation
Guy Louie Jr. was born in Victoria, BC, in 1980. He is an artist and performer from the Ahousaht clan of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. Guy began to engage with his heritage extensively in his early teens. Growing up in Victoria limited his first-hand experience with Nuu-chah-nulth culture, so Guy initially garnered his knowledge from the various audio recordings of his great-grandfather, Peter Webster.
Peter Webster’s recordings had been passed down through his family and were part of a larger collection amassed by the late musicologist Ida Halpern, who travelled Vancouver Island from 1947 to 1980. Her work during this period focused on capturing the ceremonies and cultures of Indigenous communities. In 2018, these recordings of Guy’s great-grandfather and many other Indigenous singers were recognized by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. The commission announced that the collection would be added to the Canada Memory of the World Register, which was created to promote the importance of archival material as the “memory” of humanity.
Today, Guy continues his great-grandfather’s efforts to preserve the songs and music by performing them for his community. He leads The Ahousat Drummers, a family-run drum group that had grown to include many urban Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. Guy has recently begun dabbling in visual arts as well, creating traditional carvings in the Nuu-chah-nulth style. He is currently undertaking an apprenticeship under the renowned Nuu-chah-nulth artist, Moy Sutherland.
Works by this Artist (Present + Past + Public)
Present Works
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Frontal Eagle Bentwood Box
Guy Louie Jr.
RESERVEDRed Cedar wood, Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
Specific and unique to the Northwest Coast People is the bentwood or bent-corner box or container. A most outstanding item of the First Nations people, it is a made from one single plank of wood through a lengthy steaming process – a method strictly adapted by the coastal peoples.
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Eagle Bentwood Box
Guy Louie Jr.
RESERVEDRed Cedar wood, Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
Specific and unique to the Northwest Coast People is the bentwood or bent-corner box or container. A most outstanding item of the First Nations people, it is a made from one single plank of wood through a lengthy steaming process – a method strictly adapted by the coastal peoples.
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Eagle Bentwood Box
Guy Louie Jr.
RESERVEDRed Cedar wood, Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
Specific and unique to the Northwest Coast People is the bentwood or bent-corner box or container. A most outstanding item of the First Nations people, it is a made from one single plank of wood through a lengthy steaming process – a method strictly adapted by the coastal peoples.
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Thunderbird & Killerwhale Paddle
Guy Louie Jr.
CA$4,300.00Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
Custom paddle stands available upon request – please inquire for details
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Hummingbird Bentwood Box
Guy Louie Jr.
CA$6,200.00Red Cedar wood, Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint
Specific and unique to the Northwest Coast People is the bentwood or bent-corner box or container. A most outstanding item of the First Nations people, it is a made from one single plank of wood through a lengthy steaming process – a method strictly adapted by the coastal peoples.
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Killerwhale & Wolf Paddle
Guy Louie Jr.
CA$3,200.00Yellow Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
Custom paddle stands available upon request – please inquire for details
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Humpback Whale and Thunderbird Paddle
Guy Louie Jr.
CA$3,200.00Yellow Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
Custom paddle stands available upon request – please inquire for details
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Eagle Paddle
Guy Louie Jr.
CA$3,200.00Yellow Cedar wood, Acrylic paint
Custom paddle stands available upon request – please inquire for details