Nuu-chah-nulth, Nootka, Indian Basket

Rectangular Basket Purse with 2 Braided Handles

ca 1957-1970

8.5" H x 13.75" L x 8" W

The myth of the epic struggle between Thunderbird and Whale is found in common among different language/cultural groups of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast[1] of America, and seems to be uniquely localized to this area It is also the major archetypal motif in carvings and painted art, particularly among the natives along the outlying coasts of Vancouver Island,e.g., the Kwakiutl (Kwakwakaʼwakw) or the Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulth) people.

One version can be summarized as follows:

Whale was a monster, killing other whales and depriving the Quileute tribe of meat and oil. Thunderbird, a benevolent supernatural being, saw from its home high in the mountains that the people were starving. It soared out over the coastal waters, then plunged into the ocean and seized Whale. A struggle ensued; the ocean receded and rose again. Many canoes were flung into trees and many people were killed. Thunderbird eventually succeeded in lifting Whale out of the ocean, carrying it high into the air and then dropping it. Then another great battle occurred on the land

Provenance:
These Nootka Indian items were owned by my grandmother, Bethine Flynn. She was gifted the woven items, including the teapot, directly from the Indians living in Nuchatlitz (“Nuchatlaht” tribe) on Nootka Island, British Columbia. History: In 1957 Bethine and her husband purchased 100+ acres on the Northwest tip of Nootka Island and lived there (Flynn’s Cove). The nearest neighbors were the Indian of Nuchatlitz, located 4 miles away by sea. Descriptions of the friendships between Bethine and the Nuchatlitz Indians are chronicled in her books, “The Flying Flynns” published in 1979 by Seaview Books, New York, and the sequel “Flynn’s Cove” published in 1986 by Porthole Press Ltd, Sydney, British Columbia.