Spirit of the Ancestors-Small round skin drums were used during the 19th century primarily on the southern coast by Coast Salish religious dancers. On the northern coast they were used primarily by shamans in their curing work. Perhaps through their use to accompany the singing at gambling games (lehal), the use of round skin drums has spread during the 20th century to become the most frequently used drum at potlatches and other social occasions.

Spirit of the Ancestors-The Gagiit mask is a person that almost drowned and he was able to survive the cold waters but it changed him into a wild man. There are stories also of changing him back to human form again. - Reg Davidson Masks like this one are used by several Haida dance groups today as their initial performance to clear the air-the dancers screaming when the frightening supernatural being enters the hall, appearing as a giant hairy monster. By chasing him out, the air is cleared, and the performance goes on.

Spirit of the Ancestors-The year I made this mask I was out fishing and there were no fish so I created that mask. The tears on the mask are the salmon that once were abundant. - Reg Davidson

'In the Spirit of the Ancestors'-In 1991, I commissioned Dorothy Grant to make me a coat. My nani coat, I called it, in honor of Florence Edenshaw Davidson, my teacher, collaborator, and surrogate grandmother (nani). The design tells of Florence's and my collaboration. On the front: Raven (nani Florence) telling the story; on the back: Frog (me) receiving it. I wore this coat to Florence's memorial potlatch in October 1994. - Margaret Blackman

The paper is white. The ink is black, red, and blue.

The paper is white. The ink is black and red.