A pair of lightweight drop earrings featuring Salmon by Gitxsan artist Jamie Sterritt.
The bold black, red and white artwork is set in a teardrop shape with hypoallergenic, nickel-free hooks.
Artist receives royalties from sales of this product.
Jamie Sterritt is a Gitxsan artist from the Skeena River region of northwestern British Columbia.
He comes from an artistic family. His father and uncles were accomplished artists and craftspeople, and their influence shaped his understanding of Northwest Coast design. His work continues within this family and cultural tradition, using the strong shapes, controlled lines and limited colour associated with Gitxsan design.
Sterritt is a member of the Wolf Clan of Kispiox and now lives in Kamloops, BC. Alongside his creative work, he has spent more than twenty years working with Indigenous Nations in governance, planning and community development.
Jamie Sterritt writes:
“According to legend, salmons are really people in fish form. The salmon people lived in the sea and changed into salmon for their annual migration up the great West Coast rivers, thus bringing food to the people.”
Sterritt appears to be referring to a Northwest Coast legend in which the Salmon People willingly take the form of fish and return upriver to sustain human communities. After the salmon are eaten, their bones are treated with respect and returned to the water so they can be restored and return again.
The story gives human qualities to the salmon, making the relationship between animal and human deeply personal. The salmon does not become an anonymous resource. It is understood as a being whose life is received as a gift.
The legend therefore expresses the profound respect and gratitude coastal peoples hold for salmon, whose annual return has sustained generations. It also reminds the people receiving that gift that nourishment creates responsibility.
The only condition is that the item and its gift box are both in perfect condition. Upon receiving your return you will be fully refunded.
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