Digital Print - Sisiutl & Tree of Life
Sisiutl & Tree of Life, 2025
Peter Dawson, Kwakwaka'wakw
Digital Print
11 x 11"
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The Sisiutl
A mythical creature in the culture of the kwa’kw’kiwakw people of the Northwest Coast. It is a representation of our knowledge of all that is good and all that is bad. A double headed serpent with a face in the middle and hands of either side. In some of our traditional dances the left hand is raised with the hand shaking and alternates with the right hand and at times both are drawn into chest. The raising of the left hand represents all that is full of love, happiness, and construction of our world. The raising of the right hand represents all that is full of hate, anger, and destruction. When we draw the hands to the centre it represents our understanding of both worlds and that we cannot live just on one side. Bad things and decisions will always happen to us as well as good things and it is the acceptance of both worlds, we have to live our lives.
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is used in many cultures around the world. The cedar tree was used for our big houses, our canoes for our transportation near and far, our clothing we made from the cedar bark, as well as the masks that were used in our ceremonies. The tree itself is a close representation of ourselves. Each one is an individual, unique to itself, to it’s species, and region it lives. Some grow out of a cliff on a mountain side where trees shouldn’t grow. They constantly grow up and branch out in all directions, and they help nourish each other to grow. They have roots that do the same thing but in the earth. They also held on to one secret they did not share with us, “How to Get Along” and grow as one.
