The Welcoming is celebrating the Orca whales. We were told through legends from my people in Esquimalt that the whales used to come into the front harbor in Victoria or the surrounding areas, and a lot of the first nations people would raise their arms into the air and welcome them like they were part of the family. A lot of the legends stated they were actually reincarnations of relatives who had passed on.
In the image is an actual mountain--it's like the mountain is coming alive, rising up out of the ocean and standing up.

It looks like the water is flowing off of him back into the ocean. Everything is connected in this piece--The Orca whales in the front, the water and the mountains are all connected as one. I did this piece just to show how closely connected we were to the ocean, the land, and the creatures of the water. This is my son Justin. I did a child in this picture because our youth need to learn more about the stories of our people just to carry this on, and I think it is important for our heritage.

About the Original
Medium: Oil Pen Markers / Image Size: 11" x 15" / Created: 2000
Availability: Yes / Price: $4,500.00 (Before taxes)