Light panel by indigenous artist Lyle Wilson

Light Panel

Availability: Only 1 available

Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint

This is the story of WEE-GIT, the Trickster GAX (raven) stealing the “Ball of Light” — in this carving WEE-GIT is painted in the corona, the GIZUA (sun) is peeking from behind his beak, and the NA-GWA-JEE (moon) is the carved, central face.

In the olden days, the world was originally in darkness so it was very hard for WEE-GIT to hunt for food with which to satisfy his never-ending hunger. WEE-GIT knew that an old HEY-MAS (chief) owned, and kept, a “Ball of Light” in a GUH-YO-JEELTH (bentwood box). WEE-GIT decided it would be easier to get food if he could see, so he decided to trick the old HEY-MAS. He did that by using his magical powers to change himself into a pine needle; then floated into the chief’s daughter’s cup of water. She drank both the water and pine needle and became pregnant.

Thus WEE-GIT was reborn as a young boy, and became the treasured grandchild of the old HEY-MAS.

At first the HEY-MAS kept a close watch on WEE-GIT but eventually the HEY-MAS let his “grandson” play with the “Ball of Light”; relatively unsupervised. Taking advantage of the loose supervision WEE-GIT quickly changed back into his true form and grabbed the “Ball of Light” in his beak. He flew up and squeezed through the big-house’s smokehole; the smokehole’s soot turned his white feathers to black when he squeezed out — that’s why all GAX have black feathers today.

The “Ball of Light” was very heavy and WEE-GIT soon became too tired to fly, so rather than let the pursuing HEY-MAS regain it, WEE-GIT threw the “Ball of Light” into the sky and as he did so, pieces broke off.

That is why the NA-GWA-JEE and GIZUA are in the sky; WEE-GIT’s unintentional gifts to mankind. The “Ball of Light” has also served as a metaphor for the beginning of human consciousness on the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Lyle Wilson 2024

 

36.5 x 35.5 x 10.5" (92.71 x 90.17 x 26.67cm)

CA$33,000.00

Only 1 available

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Red Cedar wood, Acrylic paint

This is the story of WEE-GIT, the Trickster GAX (raven) stealing the “Ball of Light” — in this carving WEE-GIT is painted in the corona, the GIZUA (sun) is peeking from behind his beak, and the NA-GWA-JEE (moon) is the carved, central face.

In the olden days, the world was originally in darkness so it was very hard for WEE-GIT to hunt for food with which to satisfy his never-ending hunger. WEE-GIT knew that an old HEY-MAS (chief) owned, and kept, a “Ball of Light” in a GUH-YO-JEELTH (bentwood box). WEE-GIT decided it would be easier to get food if he could see, so he decided to trick the old HEY-MAS. He did that by using his magical powers to change himself into a pine needle; then floated into the chief’s daughter’s cup of water. She drank both the water and pine needle and became pregnant.

Thus WEE-GIT was reborn as a young boy, and became the treasured grandchild of the old HEY-MAS.

At first the HEY-MAS kept a close watch on WEE-GIT but eventually the HEY-MAS let his “grandson” play with the “Ball of Light”; relatively unsupervised. Taking advantage of the loose supervision WEE-GIT quickly changed back into his true form and grabbed the “Ball of Light” in his beak. He flew up and squeezed through the big-house’s smokehole; the smokehole’s soot turned his white feathers to black when he squeezed out — that’s why all GAX have black feathers today.

The “Ball of Light” was very heavy and WEE-GIT soon became too tired to fly, so rather than let the pursuing HEY-MAS regain it, WEE-GIT threw the “Ball of Light” into the sky and as he did so, pieces broke off.

That is why the NA-GWA-JEE and GIZUA are in the sky; WEE-GIT’s unintentional gifts to mankind. The “Ball of Light” has also served as a metaphor for the beginning of human consciousness on the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Lyle Wilson 2024

 

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