Canoe paddle. Blade is long and leaf shaped, very slightly convex on both sides, with a tapered, rounded tip. Handle is thick and round at neck, flattening toward grip. Grip is tubular and extends slightly beyond the width of the handle. Decorative paintings on paddle show a large red and black striped fish with flukes and dorsal fin below two black rectangles with a dot at centre, and similar in red with traces of lines extending outwards. On the other side of the blade are linear and box designs, along with a motif showing a red circular centre and short black lines extending off. At top is a large fish in red and black with prominent teeth, and a dorsal fin.

Model paddle. Blade is long and leaf shaped, slightly convex on both sides, with a tapered, rounded tip. Handle is thick and round at neck, flattening toward grip. Grip is a small tube that extends beyond the width of the handle. Birds are painted on both sides of the blade in formline style, in red and black.

Model paddle. Blade is long and leaf shaped, slightly convex on both sides, with a rounded, tapered tip. Handle is thick and round at neck, flattening toward grip. Grip is a small tube. Birds are painted on either side in formline style, in red and black.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Felt headband with carved wooden frontlet of eagle. Band is made of red felt, with balsa wood carving of an eagle head at centre. Bird has two feathers atop the head, with large eyes rimmed in blue, and an open beak with slightly protruding tongue. Neck is painted with feathers in black. The head is attached to a piece of black leather that is sewn to the band with hide strips. Three shell buttons are sewn to band at both sides of the eagle head.

Small dance apron of red and black felted cloth; the outer edge has a row of large shell buttons, with a row of smaller shell buttons inside. Three horizontal rows of off-white shell buttons top three strips of leather tassels and copper bells sitting on attached leather thongs and scalloped red felt. The waistband extends into ties to secure the apron around the body.

Felted wool button blanket with large central design. Edges are red, scalloped on the inside border, with a narrow strip of white, also scalloped, and a black interior panel. On this panel sits the emblem of an eagle, wings spread, head to the side, atop a whale in profile, tail up. Over 2200 buttons in shell and abalone outline the crest and borders of the blanket. A half circle is cut out of the top edge to fit around the wearer’s neck. A strip of black felt sits to the side, to be fastened around the neck.

BELLA BELLA: A SEASON OF HEILTSUK ART. BLACK, MARTHA, 1997, Publisher: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS