Alder wood, Cedar bark, Acrylic paint

18 x 8 x 7″ (including cedar bark)

14 x 8 x 7″

Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint

19.5 x 19 x 6.5″ (including stand)

Red Cedar wood, Cedar bark, Acrylic paint

Yellow cedar wood, Horse Hair, Acrylic paint

Alder wood, Cedar bark, Cedar rope

Kelly’s inspiration for this exceptionally-styled Salmon Dancer Mask with the Salmon’s open mouth exposing a human face comes from a traditional Nuxalk ceremony, which occurs every spring and is meant to celebrate and honor the first Salmon run of the season.

Due to the widespread importance of Salmon among various coastal indigenous cultures, many First Nations communities throughout the Pacific Northwest Coast have their own variations of these celebrations that are held upon the return of the fish to the rivers surrounding their ancestral lands. The first catch is awarded a high level of symbolic and ceremonial importance, playing a principal role in the feasts and festivities that surround this event. In Nuxalk tradition, the first catch is referred to as the Spring Salmon.

“Every year, we use ceremony to honour the return of our Salmon runs. The first Salmon to make their way up the Bella Coola River is the Spring Salmon. Feasts are given back to the people at this time. A respected member of the people is chosen, then he in return sings and dances once a year for this gathering.”

– Kelly Robinson, 2019

Yellow Cedar wood, Acrylic paint

Red Cedar wood, Cedar rope, Cedar bark, Acrylic paint