
Haida Female Supernatural Beings
“Haida Female Supernatural Beings” is a three-dimensional storytelling installation that encompasses photos, music, sound, and dialogue.
“Out of Concealment” is the translation of the original name for Haida Gwaii, referring to Raven, the trickster, taking the islands of Haida Gwaii out of concealment of the realm of the supernatural beings to share with humanity.
The concept of this exhibition is to convey origin and oral traditions from the Haida Nation about female Supernatural Beings. Passed on from generation to generation through oral tradition, these are important narratives that illustrate the Nation’s laws, values, customs, rituals, and relationships with earthly and metaphysical realms.
NAW JAADA, OCTOPUS WOMAN
2017, lightjet photographic pring on dibond,
21.8 x 32 inches
This body of work consists of 34 images (2 of which are rendered in video presentations, 1 on a silk panel and 2 in LED Light boxes), plus 10 portraits of the larger oral history montages. Three images have motion-sensors to trigger new compositions of songs associated with three of the Supernatural Beings. Two of the videos illustrate oral narratives and includes compositions (performed with Bill Henderson and Claire Lawrence which are on the album “Grizzly Bear Town”); another video depicts a transformation and has an archival song of Terri-Lynn's great grandmother and her contemporaries singing.
The sharing of oral traditions and story-telling is an art form specific to Indigenous Peoples; this exhibit integrates contemporary technology and ideas to bring ancient narratives of the supernatural into a modern context.
“Out of Concealment” aims to help people—both within the Haida Nation and the general public—to see the feminine and powerful land and seascapes of Haida Gwaii through a worldview where the land and sea are human and worthy of respect, not to be dominated and exploited.
Heritage House Publishing published a book about the collection, a stunning collection featuring the powerful and whimsical photo montages. Accompanied by meticulous ethnographic research and insightful, reflective text describing the being’s place in Haida cosmology, the book is now out of print.
Terri-Lynn donated the entire collection of 34 images and 10 portraits to the Skidegate Health Centre.
“Conceptually, I want to capture these Beings as they might be, unguarded, basking in the beauty of their surroundings, basking in who they are—unguarded moments of sensuality.
That is our challenge today—to fully embrace who we are and where we’ve been to get to our destination, and our new state of transformation.”
Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson
HLGAA IINAGWAAY JAAD, HALF-ROCK WOMAN
lightjet photographic print on dibond, 20.2 x 32 inches
KAAGAN JAAD, MOUSE WOMAN
2017, lightjet photographic print on dibond, 21.25 x 32 inches
TAW XAASDLL JAAD, OIL SPILL WOMAN
2017, lightjet photographic print on dibond, 23.3 x 32 inches
JIIDÁAL JAAD, LANDSLIDE WOMAN PORTRAIT
2017, lightjet photographic print on dibond, 15 x 10 inches
LAA.A JAAD, FINE WEATHER WOMAN, 2017, lightjet photographic print on dibond, 19.85 x 32 inches