Ksan Totem Poles

Three red cedar totem poles carved in 1970 by Gitskan carvers. On each pole, a variety
of spiritual and supernatural beings or crests portray stories associated with the cultural
heritage of the carvers. This is the first instance of First Nations culture being
represented here at YVR. This is because the land that the airport is on, Sea Island, was
formerly Musqueam First Nations territory. Musqueam peoples are also known as People
of the River Grass.

Clayoquot Welcoming Figures

The welcoming figures were created in 1986 by an artist named Joe David and they
were carved in the Clayoquot tradition of the Nuu-chah-nulth people of the Pacific
Northwest Coast. These welcome figures are based on those that would be placed on
the beach in front of a village or a big house to greet guests invited to special
events. This is of importance because we greet all international guests to YVR with the
same open arms. Their domed hats denotes a high-ranking, and both wear an apron like
garment traditionally made from the shredded, beaten and woven inner bark of the
cedar tree. These figures stand 3.3 metres tall and are carved from cedar logs.

The Great Wave Wall

This depiction of the ocean is made up of thousands of glass pieces representing the
ocean, is Canadian Artists Lutz Haufschilds 40 metre by 10 metre wall, made up of
thousands of shards of glass forms a dramatic and appropriate backdrop the Jade
Canoe. It is said that when the sun rises or sets it looks as though the waves are
crashing.

Hanging Haida Crests

Robert Davidson's depiction of the two principal crests of the Haida people, Eagle and
Raven is located in the group of works titled Supernatural World. These crests hang from
the ceiling, and were both created in 1999, as well as the Thunderbird and Killer Whale,
and the Human/Bear Masks. It is carved like large dance masks mounted back to back,
and the work speaks to the importance of Eagle and Raven in Haida spiritual belief and
social structure. Haida are Aboriginal people who have traditionally occupied the coastal

bays and inlets of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia. All Haida belonged to one of two
social groups the Eagle or the Raven

Supernatural World
In the display Supernatural World there is a collection of carvings that celebrate
creatures of the Pacific Northwest Coast. First Nations people say that the realms of
the land are inhabited by creatures of nature, as well as spirit powers that
move between realms, transforming themselves at will. You can see a thunderbird
swoops down to hunt the killer whale, which has a seal in his mouth. Carvings of an
eagle, raven, a human and bear look down from above, and this is all surrounded by
walkways and ramps which is not a typical space for such beautiful art.
Thunderbird and Killer Whale
This two-part sculpture by Richard Hunt shows Thunderbird with wings spread as it is
about to swoop down on its prey, Killer Whale. Killer Whale is a hunter too and is
depicted with a seal in its mouth; human faces are painted on its side fins, a bear on its
dorsal fin and an eagle on its tail and in its blowhole. In First Nations lore, killer whales
are said to represent the spirits of high-ranking chiefs. All beings represented are crests
of the Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwah-kwaka-waku) people, the eagle being the principal crest
of Hunt's clan in For Rupert, British Columbia, while the Thunderbird that soars high in
the sky, was bestowed upon Hunt during a family potlatch. This represents the sea in
the theme Land, Sea and Sky.

Human/Bear Mask
Representing the Land is the human and bear masks that were created by Dempsey
Bob in 1999 are carved in red cedar and declare the artist's family connection with the
Bear clan and acknowledge the special kinship between bears and human beings. In
"Bear/Human Mask," a small human figure with long black hair crouches between the
ears of a bear;
Beside it, in "Human/Bear Mask," the small face of a bear, with human teeth and
extended tongue, is perched on the forehead of a human mask.

Cedar Connection
Susan Points Cedar Connection is a large and complex sculpture that evokes the
landscape and culture of the areas original people, the Musqueam people. The shape
as a towering, old growth tree strump suggests the richness of the temperate rainforest
and also honours the natural cycle of life, in which trees sprout upward, mature and
eventually fall. The Fraser River is represented by a flowing waterline motif on the
interior and looking outward are a human face with a rounded mouth evoking the oral

culture of the Coast Salish people and an owl, which functions as a keeper of wisdom
and messenger within the story of life.

Celebrating Flight Totem Pole

At the top of the four story pole is the Creator Raven and below him is the figure of man,
given a high rank because of intelligence and ingenuity. Also, in Haida art, human faces
are sometimes placed in the tails of certain animals, symbolizing that the animal is
actually a spirit with the ability to shape-shift or change its bodily form.. Below are
Thunderbird, Whale, Eagle, Bear and Frog, all important creatures of strength and power
in Haida mythology. It features a narrative art montage of a Haida totem pole. The tiles
on the floor are meant to represent the rivers of British Columbia, and overhead the
Northern Lights adorn the sky, accompanied by a moon face created by Trace Yeomans,
who is married to Don Yeomans.

Don Yeomans

Spirit of Haida Gwaii the Jade Canoe

Before coming to YVR, the canoe was at the Canadian Museum of History. Bill Reid
began with a 1/6 scale model of the sculpture before enlarging it to a full scale clay
model that was placed on top of metal rods and mesh that was then molded in plaster.
The sculpture itself cost $3 million which was an unheard of figure to spend on art in the
early 1990s, and the highest price ever paid for a Canadian work of art.
The Raven is one of the most prominent figures in Haida mythology, and is known to be
a trickster, and him steering the oar is meant to represent the unpredictable nature of
life. The Bear is wary of the Ravens tricks, and is keeping a close eye on him. The wife
of the Bear is actually a human, and out of the two bear cubs, one is a good bear, and
one is the poorly behaved bear. The Shaman has a vision of what is to come and the
Raven is guiding the canoe. The passengers are very diverse, from different walks of
life, and not always in harmony yet they must depend on one another to live.
Opening words from Reids accompanying poem: Here we are at last, a long way from
Haida Gwaii, not too sure where we are or where were going but somehow managing
to appear to be heading in some direction.

Valuable Facts:
The value of YVRs art collection is estimated at anywhere from $16 million to $20
million, and is comprised of about 200 art pieces.
Boeing Company, under the authority of the Wartime Housing Authority, built a 300
home subdivision to house its workers on Sea Island, now known as Burkeville.