For over 4000 years the Nuu-chah-nulth conducted annual whale hunts which involved a yearly cycle of rituals and spiritual and physical preparation that began immediately after the previous hunt. Guided by the chief and a female elder, the crew would enter a strict regimen of preparation, physical and spiritual training, diet, and cleansing that would culminate in the dangerous and arduous task of hunting a whale from a canoe. The Nuu-chah-nulth were the only Northwest Coast nation to hunt whales and all their coastal villages, with variations, had whaling rituals.

The best-known Nuu-chah-nulth whaler’s shrine is the Yuquot. It is controversially held by the Museum of Natural History in New York and is the subject of the book The Yuquot Whalers’ Shrine by Jonaitis and Inglis. [1] The shrine was constructed within a structure with carved figures, whales, human skulls, and other artifacts. Joe David’s Shrine Figure is one of several works inspired by this famous whaler’s shrine.

Joe David is among the most recognized contemporary master artists of the Northwest Coast. He has explored the full range of Nuu-chah-nulth objects with special interest in shamanic and spiritual pieces. David has travelled extensively to study and participate in world Indigenous cultural events including with the Maori in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Sun Dance rituals in New Mexico – influences that affect his work as an artist. He is dedicated to cultural causes and especially to environmental causes and the protection of the land and water of the Northwest Coast.

Gary Wyatt