Kolus (Sea Eagle) Headdress by Tom Hunt, Kwakwaka'wakw

Kolus (Sea Eagle) Headdress, 2003by Tom Hunt, Kwakwaka'wakw First Nationred cedar, cedar bark, pigment16" high x 27" long x 9" deepKolus is a Thunderbird's younger sibling or relative, and is a highly respected protector spirit in Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations culture. The Kolus is said to have a thick white down coat that makes him hot, and can transform into a human by removing his down. In many origin stories, a Kolus flew down from the heavens and became a human, founding a tribe or clan.The son of Hereditary Chief George Hunt and Mary Henderson Hunt, Tom D. Hunt (Walawidi) is a member of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation who was born in Victoria in 1964.  Tom began apprenticing with his father at the age of twelve and later worked with his brother George Hunt Jr.  When entering his teenage years Tom spent several summers in Campbell River working with his maternal grandfather the late Sam Henderson. During that stage of his development of Kwakwaka’wakw art style, Tom learned the artistic sty