A number of people and organizations have helped me in my work and in my growth and I’d like to recognize the following as just a few of those.
Xwalacktun / Rick Harry (above) has been my great friend and mentor for almost 30 years now. He was my main carving teacher, although I also owe a number of other carvers such as Sesiy’am / Ray Natraoro, and Drew Atkins /Nəq̓ɑɬc̓i for their constant support and assistance.
For jewelry work Shane Point sharpened my first engraving tools for me; Dan Wallace Simeon who started and taught the Northwest Coast jewelry engraving program at the Native Education College really got me started; and I even got to spend a little bit of time with the legendary Phil Janze, who was a bit of a genius, and I’d like to thank them all.
The Squamish peoples are first a collection of villages and families, and I owe many of my Elders, friends, and youth for their support and teachings. Our people all wear many hats, doing modern work and education, mixed with preservation and reconstruction of our community and heritage.
In other ways the Squamish is a also a political First Nation with a government all of our own. In particular thevSquamish Nation Education, and the Stitsma Employment Agency have both given me much assistance in my education and training; the Squamish Nation Trust and business development staff have also given me much in my work.
The First Peoples’ Heritage, Language, and Culture Council was a great support, first: providing support to me in my Coast Salish arts research, and again: for providing much of the money for my journey to New York to learn from Master Valentin Yotkov in his amazing repousse studio.
Also FANS (Fund for the arts on the North Shore) has also recently assisted me in a dream project, creating an aluminum Salish hunting canoe.