A Tlingit legend explains the original dispersion of Frogs over their land. It is said that a chief’s daughter made fun of Frog and was later lured into a pond by Frog in human form. She then married Frog but was not allowed to return to her home. When her family then drained the pond Frogs fled in all directions across the land.

Raven, the Transformer, helped the Creator finish the world. Mankind’s great benefactor, he placed the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky. Raven is curious, proud and playful. There are more stories told about Raven than about any other character in Northwest Coast mythology.

The Dogfish is a small shark that inhabits the cold waters along the Northwest Coast. Complete stories of Dogfish Woman have not survived the ravages of time and smallpox but she is reputed to have been a very powerful friend to her descendants. Family crests and totems include ancestors both real and mythical where she often appears as a very beautiful woman with a large nose and pointed teeth like the shark she really was. The minds of men are still captivated by this beautiful and dangerous woman.

Eagle is prominent in many stories across the Northwest and is generally a benefactor to mankind. This Eagle is dancing to summon magic powers to save the young Eagles from a sea monster.

Orca, or Killer Whale, is an important family crest and character in many stories. The most powerful hunter of the cold Northwest waters, this Orca is diving to his home at the bottom of the sea. There he will take off his whale suit and live as people do, by a fire, in a big cedar house.

Walkers favorite Bear story is about a woman who married the Chief of the Grizzly Bears, bearing him twin sons. This bear is one of the twins, a youngster about to make his own way in the world. He will become a rich and powerful chief. The Frog, whispering in his ear, is a symbol of power and wisdom so they called him “Bear with an Idea”.

This mythical bird with a long and powerful beak represents a wild spirit. A Hamatsa ceremony tames this spirit in a man so that he can become a complete human being in full control of himself. Hamatsa is a male society among several Northwest Coast tribes and is still a strong and flourishing tradition.

Volcano Woman’s tears turn into frogs, which she calls her children. She also wields power over the fires of the earth, and is reputed to have caused a volcanic eruption on the Nass River only a few hundred years ago. The lava flow destroyed a village of people that did not respect the lives of the creatures of the earth. They wasted food, and thoughtlessly killed frogs for amusement. Volcano Woman destroyed them all except one young woman who lived to bring us this story.

Also called the ‘Crooked Beak of Heaven’ this mask represents the wild spirit purged from man during the Hamatsa ceremony. A man progresses to full control of himself and therefore is an asset to his community. The Hamatsa society is still flourishing among many Northwest Coast tribes today.

The first house in the world was built by Beaver. Beaver is well known for his industriousness and building skills. He is a common inhabitant of the Northwest Coast region and often appears in Northwest Coast mythology. Beaver is a crest of the Eagle Clan.