Looking at DC: The Spirit of Haida Gwaii
When walking down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol, one could easily overlook the Canadian Embassy. Situated directly next to a massive construction project and surrounded by museums, the generic beige building appears fairly ordinary. However, if travelers decided to venture up the outdoor staircase to the expansive atrium, their eyes would immediately focus on the jet-black statue that contrasts with the building’s tan exterior. Upon closer inspection, they would see a long canoe with a collection of bronze characters and creatures strenuously paddling on the inch-deep water feature below. Titled the Spirit of Haida Gwaii, this statue is beautiful, jarring, and mystifying all at once, leaving onlookers pondering the sculpture’s meaning and wondering why it’s there.
The Canadian Embassy, located on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 6th Street NW, opened in May 1989. After designing the Embassy in 1985, architect Arthur Erickson commissioned the sculptor Bill Reid to build a statue for the front atrium. By this time, Reid was renowned in Canada for his beautiful sculptures depicting symbolic figures from Haida culture and mythology. The Haida tribe, of which Reid was a member, is an indigenous community whose ancestral homeland is located on the present-day Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, Canada. Erickson and Reid had worked together on past projects, and the architect believed that including a piece by a Canadian artist about native culture would carry particular significance for indigenous peoples across the continent. As Erickson later stated, he liked “the idea of bringing to Washington not only Canada but also the native aspect of North America, which I think is too often overlooked.”
In 1986, Reid and his team began sculpting the Spirit of Haida Gwaii out of clay and plaster in a workshop on Granville Island, British Columbia. After completion, the team planned to break the model down into approximately seventy pieces and send the collection to a foundry in New York, where the bronze casting and reassembly would occur. However, before the plaster model was finished, Reid paused his work in a sign of solidarity with the Haida nation, which was protesting the Canadian government’s industrial logging practices that were degrading the environment of the Haida homeland. Reid asserted that he would not allow the government to use Haida symbols as “Canadian window dressing in Washington, [D.C.]” while they undermined the community’s efforts to preserve their heritage and homeland. Reid even participated in the blockade of Lyell Island to prevent forestry corporations from logging on Haida homeland. Given Reid’s national prominence, his presence at the blockade convinced the loggers to abandon their efforts. Consequently, Reid resumed his work on the Spirit of Haida Gwaii statue and completed the plaster model in 1989. By 1991, the Tallix Foundry in New York poured the bronze casting, administered a black patina, and delivered the completed sculpture to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The official title of the statue located at the Canadian Embassy is the Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Black Canoe, as Reid constructed a replica of the sculpture with a green patina for the Vancouver Airport. These two statues became Reid’s most famous creations and served as the culmination of a career focused on highlighting the Haida people and culture. From 2004 to 2012, the Spirit of Haida Gwaii even appeared on the Canadian twenty-dollar bill to celebrate Reid’s work and legacy.
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Black Canoe currently sits in the same corner of the Canadian Embassy’s outdoor atrium, still resting on the modest water feature. Identifying all the characters depicted in the Spirit of Haida Gwaii requires basic knowledge of Haida symbolism and a panoramic view of the statue. Or, visitors can read the plaque at the front of the sculpture.
At the front of the canoe sits the Grizzly Bear and Bear Mother, with two bear cubs between them. Haida mythology retells a story of a woman who once disrespected a group of bears and was consequently forced to marry one. The character ultimately gave birth to two bear cubs and became known as Bear Mother. The moral of this tale is that humans should always respect the animal kingdom.
Sitting behind Bear Mother is the Beaver and Dogfish Woman. The Beaver represents creativity and determination while Dogfish Woman symbolizes the connections between the human and non-human world. Next to Bear Mother sits the Eagle, Frog, and Wolf, who signify wisdom, prosperity, and loyalty respectively. Behind this trio of animals is a human oarsman that Reid referred to as “the Ancient Reluctant Conscript,” a character who symbolizes people following orders from a higher power.
The Raven is perched at the back of the canoe with an oar to steer the vessel. The Raven is the curious trickster in Haida mythology, and his status on the boat as the steersman suggests that the group’s journey will follow a random and circuitous path. Crouched beneath Raven’s tail is Mouse Woman, who serves as an advisor in mythical expeditions between human and non-human realms.
Located in the center of the boat is the shaman chief, recognized in Haida as “Kilstlaii.” The largest character in the sculpture, Kilstlaii is the authority figure on the boat. His robe and speaker’s staff include images that allude to various stories in Haida mythology.
If each character has a specific symbolic meaning, what do these creatures represent together? Reid proposed his own explanation of the sculpted scene, remarking that “There is certainly no lack of activity on our little boat, but is there any purpose? Is the tall figure who may or may not be the Spirit of Haida Gwaii leading us, for we are all in the same boat, to a sheltered beach beyond the rim of the world as he seems to be or is he lost in a dream of his own dreaming?” Ultimately, Reid paradoxically concludes that “The boat moves on, forever anchored in the same place.”
With these comments and Reid’s prior social activism in mind, viewers can interpret the Spirit of Haida Gwaii as the manifestation of Reid’s questions about the unity of purpose in Canada and his concerns about the supposed improvement of relations between Canadians of native and European descent. However, given this statue is located in the United States, one cannot help but also view the Spirit of Haida Gwaii as an allusion to Washington Crossing the Delaware and wonder about the US’ national progression since its birth. If George Washington and revolutionary soldiers had a clear destination and purpose in mind, do current US leaders and citizens? Or, as Reid suggested, are Americans “lost in a dream of [their] own dreaming?” Thus, regardless of national identity, the Spirit of Haida Gwaii serves to capture all onlookers and place them in the canoe among this assortment of beings, ultimately forcing each to consider their individual responsibilities and influence in achieving collective goals.
Additional Reading/Viewing:
This article will help readers learn more about Bill Reid’s life, art, and beliefs.
“Significance and Critical Issues”
Click on this article to discover how Bill Reid commented on critical issues and engaged in social activism through his art.
“‘Mythical Icons’: Haida Gwaii Artist Bill Reid, 1989”
Watch this documentary to learn more about Bill Reid, his art, and the process of building the Spirit of Haida Gwaii statue.
“Grand Hall Tour: The Spirit of Haida Gwaii”
This article provides additional descriptions of the Spirit of Haida Gwaii statue and the characters onboard.
To read more analyses about the Spirit of Haida Gwaii statue and its significance, click above.
This article provides more information about the Haida nation’s history and culture.
Explore this article to learn more about Haida symbols and mythology.
“Embassy of Canada, Design Spotlight, Vol 1”
To learn more about the history of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., click above.