Raven and the First Men

A lovely Sunday in Vancouver and we spent the afternoon at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. This magnificent carving, by the renowned Haida artist, Bill Reid, is a centerpiece at the museum. I never tire of spending time with it. It is carved out a a laminated block of yellow cedar.

Called Raven and The First Men, this carving depicts the Haida story of creation. It portrays how Raven coaxed the first men out of a giant clam shell he found on the beach. As the story goes, it was a time after the great flood when the world was still mostly covered with water. The only creature living was the Raven. The Raven flew over the water searching for another sign of life. He spied a clam shell far below on a bit of beach. The shell appeared to be moving. He swooped down to see more closely. The men in the shell hid from the Raven but he coaxed them to come out. This, the Haida say, was the beginning of man on earth.