Calvin Hunt

Hereditary Chief Na-soom-yees, Mowachaht, Friendly Cove, Calvin was born in 1956, his father, Hereditary Chief Thomas Hunt is Kwagu’ł of Fort Rupert, his mother Emma nee Billy, is Mowachaht of Nuuchahnulth, West Coast Nation and Gwat̕sinuxw, Quatsino Sound People Calvin was born into a wealth of traditional values from both his Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuuchahnulth heritages. Calvin started woodcarving Northwest Coast Indian art at the age of 12. 1972 to 1981, Calvin carved full time as an apprentice with Tony Hunt Sr., Arts of the Raven Gallery, Victoria, BC. Moving to his ancestral home of Fort Rupert 1981, Calvin and wife, Marie, opened their carving workshop “The Copper Maker”. 1989 the workshop doubled in size and the retail art gallery “Kwagu’ł Art of the Copper Maker Gallery” opened. The gallery names prophesy has come true, as he now has three full time artists at the workshop. May 1988, carved and raised ceremonial Hunt Pole in Fort Rupert, hereditarily owned by his oldest brother, Chief Yaława Nagedzi, George Hunt Sr.), with the assistance of his brothers, nephews and cousins. He also carved a memorial grave figure for his father at the Fort Rupert cemetery. These poles were the first such poles raised in the village in approximately 70 years. 1993 resurgence of canoe building, Calvin and his nephew, Mervyn Child, carved a 32’ Northern Style canoe representing Kwagu’ł Nation at K̕atuwas Canoe Gathering in Bella Bella. This canoe, named after his mother, ’Maxwala’ogwa, belongs to the ’Maxwala’ogwa Canoe Society, formed by Calvin and his wife, Marie. Calvin has also carved the 32’ Northern Style I-hos, and 40’ Northern Style Ugwamalis Gixdan, with Mervyn’s assistance. He has helped with the carving of a Manka canoe, and a 37’ West Coast Style canoe from Quatsino. Calvin and Mervyn are currently carving a Head Canoe. 1995, during a Potlatch given by Calvin and brother, Ross Hunt Sr, he received his Chief’s name, T̕łasutiwa’lis, from his wife’s family as part of her dowry. In July of 1998, he was seated as the fourth primary Chief of the Mowachaht; the Hereditary Chieftainship, that belonged to his grandfather, Dr. Billy, of Tsaxana (Friendly Cove), with the Chief’s name Nas-soom-yees. Calvin continues his work in Northwest Coast Indian art, working in wood, including canoe building, original silk-screened prints, gold and silver jewelry, and stone carving.