Tlingit Wolf Mother: Sacrifice, Tradition, and the Aurora Borealis

This is part of the Neon Series, currently installed at 5th and Pike in downtown Seattle until May, 2025 as part of a partnership with Seattle Restored.  Make sure to check out the others in the series.  Merchandise featuring these are available in the store.  If interested in purchasing the large format with neon lighting, contact me through the my online contact form, Instagram or Facebook

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 “Wolf Mother,” a work that delves into the intertwining of nature, mythology, and personal heritage. This piece explores sacrifice, our ancestral connections, and the cycles of life, death, and renewal that bind us. It recognizes the delicate balance we must maintain between family needs, the natural world, and our guiding traditions. This work explores how tradition and culture evolve and our responsibility to the world.

“Wolf Mother” is a tribute to the traditions and beliefs that shaped me. It recognizes nature’s profound lessons and animals’ sacred role. Through the imagery of the Wolf Mother, we begin to understand our interwoven lives and past sacrifices.

“Wolf Mother” installed with neon lighting

The Visual Narrative: A Mother’s Offering

Visually, “Wolf Mother” is meant to be striking.  Designed against a deep black background, the wolf emerges as both powerful and tender. She’s depicted in the traditional Tlingit style, with formline elements celebrating our enduring heritage.

Her face features a traditional labret piercing, symbolizing her high status in Tlingit society—a marker of respect and tradition. This is designed to immediately grounds the piece in our culture and offer insight to the interpretation of the piece.

The lip showing a labret, symbolizing the wolf is female

Above her head, a distinct ovoid carries multiple layers of meaning. Initially, it is the forefront component of formline in our design tradition. Beyond that, I see it as representing the planet Earth and its ionosphere where the northern lights interact with out world.  emitting from this ovoid is a series of tendrils that I imagined as the aurora borealis, which plays into the story behind this piece.  In addition to this interpretation, the ovoid and tendrils could be seen as representing a comet, descending from the heavens.  This celestial image adds otherworldly energy, reminding us we are part of the cosmos. 

The wolf’s form is rendered in vibrant magenta and cyan. Magenta, pulsating with emotion, loops around her lower paws. Cool cyan highlights her face and the saliva dripping from her muzzle. These contrasting colors create power and vulnerability.

Here, I diverge from traditional formline, using negative space management. This decision was important to challenge my own traditions, as they have changed over time.

Mythology and Personal Connection: The Story of Sacrifice

“Wolf Mother” is deeply rooted in personal experience, cultural significance, and the stories I’ve heard. It’s inspired by one of my experiences in Southeast Alaska, in particular a recent wolf hunt where my brother and his close friend checked his friend’s trap lines, a task important for both subsistence and ecosystem balance. I had the privilege of joining them.

The primary purpose of this trapline was to hunt wolves, controlling their population. One wolf can decimate up to 40 deer annually, food for Alaskan families. The “Wolf Mother” is, in this sense, offering 40 deer a year to humanity—a sacrifice to feed our people. This highlights nature’s interconnectedness and its vital role in our lives.

In my culture, animals are seen as willing sacrifices for our community’s benefit. This is rooted in gratitude and respect; a reminder our lives are intertwined with all creatures. Animals are not prey, but individual beings with agency who are participating in the cycle of life. A reminder each life is important.

The wolf’s depiction reflects these beliefs. She isn’t just a predator, but an animal offering herself for the greater good—a mother, a provider. Her willingness to sacrifice reminds us of our own sacrifices.

The wolf’s paw up but dripping

The dripping from her paws and mouth is a reminder of sacrifice and the harsh reality of a trap line. Her bloody hands symbolize her role as a deer hunter and her being trapped. The dripping saliva is to represent her salivating over potential future deer as well as from the bait in the snare, reflecting the complicated reality of this situation.  In death, there is life; the wolf is offering herself and providing for the community. This reflects life’s cyclical nature. This depiction is also a testament to the reality of the trapline.

We take time to pay respect and offer thanks and gratitude to the animals which offer themselves up in this way.  Again, it is our belief that they are making this decision to benefit others, a selfless act.  Their spirit lives on and is of the same essence as we all are, so will end up with our ancestors.

While my brother was out checking the trapline later this year, he experienced the vibrant northern light display that was even visible all the way down here in Washington state.  That is why I have included that in the art piece.   We have a belief that when the aurora shines and plays in the sky it is our ancestor spirits dancing in the heavens while watching over us.  To me this signifies their appreciation of the work my brother and his friend are doing for the community.  

The aurora emanating from above the wolf mother

An Invitation to Reflect: Honoring Sacrifice

“Wolf Mother” is a meditation on sacrifice, respect, and interconnectedness. It challenges us to consider how we honor nature and our traditions. How do we acknowledge past sacrifices? How do we use the past to guide our future? How can we deepen our ancestral wisdom and reconcile our needs with those of the natural world?

All of us are a result of past experiences, struggles, and sacrifices. I hope this piece reminds us of those acts, and that we can use this understanding to cultivate a better future.

The piece encourages us to challenge our perception of the natural world. Animals aren’t just prey, but co-inhabitants, worthy of respect. They teach us about our relationship to the earth and the gifts it provides.

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Closing Thoughts: A Tapestry of Life

Sharing “Wolf Mother” has been an honor. It’s a fusion of personal narrative, cultural heritage, and artistic exploration. I hope it resonates with you, stirring emotion and fostering appreciation for the tapestry of life. It’s a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made, and how to honor the delicate balance we need to maintain with nature.

I hope this piece will help you see the beauty in all that we are. I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Together, let’s celebrate the dance of existence, much like our ancestors beneath the Northern Lights.

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