Welcome -
to the Campbell River Museum Shop!
For over 30 years, the museum shop at Campbell River has represented First Nations Artists of the North West Coast. We feature authentic works of aboriginal art from Pacific Northwest coast native artists, including ceremonial masks, rattles, boxes, jewelry, feast dishes, baskets and coppers. We also carry a selection of regional books and locally crafted gift items.
Move your mouse over the images above; click for more information, to see larger images and to learm more about the items we carry in the Museum Shop.
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| » Masks & wooden carvings | » Grass & bark baskets |
| » Drums & rattles | » Silkscreen Prints |
| » Bentwood boxes | » Dolls |
| » Carved gold & silver jewelry | » Books |
Contributing artists include such well-known carvers from British Columbia, Canada as Bill Henderson and Greg Henderson, Eugene Issac, Wilson George and Stan Wamis. We also carry baskets by Dorothy Jefferies, Lucy Pavio and Margaret Jack. Other artists include Bruce Alfred, Mark Henderson, Dwayne Simeon and Dennis Matilpi.
Come in for a personal visit or call us to inquire about our current stock. We can help you select a special piece and have it shipped to your door. For more information call 250-287-3103 or e-mail
Carved Gold and Silver Jewellery
Gold and silver jewellery has been fashioned by Native Artists in British Columbia since the trading of silver and gold coins from the Russians in Alaska.
The Museum Shop is fortunate to be working in alliance with some of the foremost carvers from North Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada.
Bracelets, wedding rings and pendants are of the finest craftsmanship and display the many native crests of the coastal peoples. The Museum Shop stocks both gold and silver as well as working through select artists for special order pieces.
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Silkscreen Prints
Traditionally, paintings embellished many items in the North West Coast Indian household: canoes, paddles, baskets, boxes, spoons, drums, rattles and dance screens to name a few. The colours most favoured were red and black, although a blue-green and a yellow were also used. With the implementation of the anti-potlatch law, the production of masks, dance curtains and other accompaniments was severely curtailed but continued nonetheless. A growing commercial market for these pieces during this period of cultural repression helped to ensure the unbroken transmission of artistic traditions.
With the renaissance of native Indian arts however, the medium of silkscreen printing for pictures to hang on the wall was created. Today this art form is highly sophisticated and reflects a long history of family owned crests and privileges. Here in two-dimensional design can be found some of the purest elements in the design history of the First Nations people of British Columbia.
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Grass and Bark Baskets
Basketry is an art form that has been almost lost to the changing times and technology. With the resurgence of culture, the elders have been working with their communities rediscovering the techniques of this ancient craft. The Museum Shop is very fortunate to be in contact with some of these artists who are often working in isolation from mainstream markets.
Northwest Coast basket makers were masters in using fibrous materials to weave a variety of household items. Distinctive to the extreme outer coast of the Pacific Northwest, Nuu-chah-nulth twined basketry is noted for its fine detail and characteristic motifs, particularly of whalers and whaling. The Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth specialized in weaving robes of Yellow-cedar bark, and mats, hats and sometimes baskets of Red cedar-bark. Salish basket makers were specialists in coiled root basketry, and often used strips of natural red and black-dyed Bitter Cherry bark and straw-coloured grass stalks to decorate with.
Although basketry is not as prevalent an art form as it once was, there are still many talented basket makers in communities throughout North Vancouver Island.
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Drums and Rattles
Unique to our shop are drums made by a local drum maker who is involved in shamanism and healing ceremonies. His drums are one of a kind, hand tanned and stretched and painted using ancestral motifs.
Drums along with rattles are a primary percussive instrument, used in many ceremonial occasions. Artists often used paint to decorate the hide drum with two-dimensional designs. The hides are stretched over a circular frame and can be made from various animal skins; bear, elk and sea lion being most common on the northern end of Vancouver Island.
Rattles appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are often carved and painted. A raven rattle carved in the shape of the bird generally indicates a chiefly or high-ranking figure. The sounds of rattles are both calming and magical.
Masks and Wooden carvings
The mythology and iconography of the Native Peoples of Vancouver Island, BC are the main subject of carving, painting and decoration. Supernatural sky creatures such as the Thunderbird, Raven and Eagle and beings from the forest such as the Tsonokwa and Bukwus are often seen depicted on Masks and Totem Poles. There are also sea beings living alongside the great Guardian of the undersea world, Komokwa, these too were depicted in mask form and used in dance ceremony.
These mythical beings gave life to the wooden objects they decorated from dance rattles to house posts. In a traditional context the beings represented on Kwakwaka'wakw art depict ancient encounters between a family ancestor and that supernatural being. A thunderbird does not represent the entire race of thunderbirds, rather, it depicts a specific named individual with an ancient connection to the family that owned the right to display it.
The Museum Shop has a changing selection of wooden items including, masks, coppers, feast dishes, rattles, hair combs and whistles.
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Dolls
The Kwakwaka'wakw traditional dance costume of button-blanket and apron is strikingly executed by our featured artists. The shop carries a variety of dolls, including porcelain each with her own uniquely designed costume.
Traditionally the dance blanket and apron were sewn by women out of Hudson’s Bay Blankets or Melton cloth. Often seen in red, black and blue with contrasting applique, buttons and bells each design was taken from a family crest. Families could share the same crest such as the eagle but each story that went with the crest would be unique to that family.
Dance today is a large part of the reclamation of tradition and culture with the First Nations People on Vancouver Island.
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Bentwood Boxes
One of the outstanding inventions of the North West Coast craftsman was the one-pieced kerfed box. Making these requires considerable practice before the craftsman becomes expert.
The Museum Shop profiles a highly accomplished box maker and artisan from Alert Bay, Cormorant Island, BC. Both retail and special order boxes are available.
Books
Following is an example of the titles we carry. Our focus is the regional history of Campbell River and Northern Vancouver Island with a special section on the First Nations peoples of this area. Please contact us for titles not listed.
| Cedar |  |
| Indian Fishing | |
| Stone, Bone, Antler and Shell | |
| To Know a River | |
| Seasons of a Fisherman | |
| Return to the River | |
| Indian Myths and Legends of the North Pacific | |
| Raven Steals the Light | River City |
| Down From the Shimmering Sky | West Coast Fossils |
| The Legacy | Welks to Whales |
| Looking at Indian Art | The Rebar Cookbook |
| Looking at Totem Poles | Cheifly Feasts |
| Mythic Beings | Kwakiutl Art |
| Out of the Mist | Pacific Seaweeds |
| Kwakwaka'wakw Settlements | Marine Mammals of the North Pacific |
| Salmon Cookery | The Raincoast Kitchen |
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