David Konketah is an accomplished, Sitka-based Tlingit artist from the Kaagwaantaan (Eagle/Wolf Clan) who created objects for sale and community usage. Konketah was highly skilled in both sculpture and painting, and is known for his model totem poles, painted drums, and carved and painted paddles. His two-dimensional formline designs were especially sophisticated for the early 20th century time period in which they were made. [1]

This pair of model dance paddles feature bird-like designs rendered in red primary formline with black secondary elements and blue filler in the tertiary spaces. The birds depicted, which may represent Eagles or Ravens, have salmon-trout heads for eyes on the painted sides of the paddles. The versos feature similar designs to their fronts, but are incised and carved in low relief, rather than painted. The unpainted designs are accentuated by thin half-moon cuts, a diagnostic feature of Konketah's carving style.

1. There are several pieces by Konketah in the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka. For examples of his painted wolf drums, see Sheldon Jackson Museum July 2024 Artifact of the Month. 01 July 2024. https://lam.alaska.gov/press/releases

Sheldon-Jackson-Museum-July-2024-Archive-of-the-Month. Accessed 5 October 2026.

CWS