On the basis of the form of the carved figures and painted designs, this staff can be identified as Nootka work. It is made of very heavy wood. The figure of a sea otter is carved on the back of the human face and painted black. Blue, black, red, and white are used in the painted designs. It was probably used as a talking stick. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

The paint is red, black, and yellow.

The paint is red, black, and green.

The paint is black and red.

The paint is red, black, and yellow.

The groundhog, or marmot, is an appropriate animal for a part in the dramatization of Nanyaayi tradition. In ancient times an interior people, they migrated down the Taku River to the coast and eventually settled near the mouth of the Stikine, retaining contact and a trade monopoly with the Athapascan Tahltan of the interior. The marmot, the mountain goat, and the grizzly bear all came into the traditions of the Nanyaayi during their adventures in the mountains. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

The paint is red.