Bear Grass and Willow Root
Chinook Mural in collaboration with Tony Johnson and Amiran White.
Astoria Public Library
Astoria, Oregon
I am honored to have been asked by Tony Johnson, artist and Chairman of the Chinook Nation, to help visualize and paint this mural for the Astoria Public Library. Tony supported the process by sharing Chinook stories, artwork, and values. Photographer, Amiran White, provided incredible documentation of the events, celebrations, and canoe journeys for me to draw from. I recommend checking out the Chinook Nation website, attending any public events you can, and supporting the tribe’s efforts for Federal recognition.
Left panel: The Coyote handled bowl holds Saddle Mountain, the origin place of the Chinook. Coyote’s face takes the unique shape of the nose of the Chinook canoe. He taught the first people through ceremony, how to fish and prepare the salmon so it would return every year.
Right panel: The basket is held together with five people - the chinuk kənim tilixam (Chinook Canoe Family). Their hearts are paddles that pull the canoe in unison.
Organic geometry is the backbone of Chinookan artistic style. The human figure is represented on a flat plane with “organs” that are symbols of spiritual qualities within. The basket, bowl, and canoe are practical objects as well as sacred participants of the culture. They carry the food, water, and people of a nation. Red, white, and black colors represent the willow, beargrass, cedar, and ochre to make baskets and dyes. Embedded in the paint is a mixture of basalt clay from Spokane and red ochre from the shores of the Columbia.