Mask depicting Beaver by Bill Henderson, Kwakwaka'wakw

Mask depicting Beaver, 2015by Bill Henderson, Kwakwaka'wakw First Nationred cedar, cedar bark, pigment15” high x 12” wide x 9” deep Bill Henderson was born into the Weiwaikum band of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation on March 21, 1950. Bill is one of nine sons of the late Chief Sam Henderson and May Quocksister Henderson. As a child, Bill learned the ways of an artist by watching his father, a self-taught carver. Sam and May Henderson are well-remembered as protectors of ancient customs, and they instilled in all their children respect for their cultural heritage.  At age seven, Bill carved a little whale plaque for his Grade 1 teacher; it is still proudly displayed at Campbellton School. Young Bill would draw and paint stylized figures from Kwakwaka’wakw mythology on pieces of leftover plywood in his father’s shed – a shed he has carved in now for nearly half a century. In his late teens, Bill took up carving more seriously and at 19 he began to sell his work. Since then, he has honed his skil