'The First Carvers' is one of the stories about the Haida learning carving from the supernatural world. This rattle was carved from one piece of yellow cedar, inlaid with copper and abalone, and painted by Haida master carver Jay Simeon.
"This rattle was inspired by a Haida story about the origin of the house post. A story we studied in one of the language classes I took at Old Masset. 'A group of Yakoun Stlaang got tired and took a break while they were paddling toward Rose Spit. Looking over the edge of the canoe they saw a beautiful carved house post under the water. They stared and studied it for a long time, memorizing it.' This is just part of the story but it serves as inspiration for this piece. On the front we have a killer whale in human form with a hawk face in his blowhole. He has copper eyes to show that he is a supernatural. I also have his side fin and tail present. The other side has a human face in red looking over the side of his canoe down at the killer whale. The handle of this rattle represents the dorsal fin." Jay Simeon
A central theme of this carving is transformation. The rattle depicts a killer whale and a human being. Perhaps in the middle of a transformation. Or two aspects of one being. The human face has white killer whale markings over his eyebrows and his chin. The side fins are over his cheeks, and the tail wrapping around from under his chin. The blowhole has a human face with a hooked nose looking out from it. The hooked nose indicates transformation. The killer whale’s face on the opposite side has a human looking down at it from above.
Transformation is a central concept in northwest coast Native oral history, art and ceremonies. Transformation can happen through reincarnation or through other means. There are stories of people transforming to Killer whales, visiting killer whale villages underneath the sea, then later returning to human form and bringing back cultural property and supernatural powers.
In Native cultures there is a deep understanding of the bonds and relationships between people and the beings of the natural and supernatural worlds. They are not that different from us. Everything has a spirit.
