A local artist who started her career looking for precious metals has now designed a series of Royal Canadian Mint coins.
With her killer whale, eagle and bear designs featured on collector gold and silver coins being released throughout the first months of 2016, Haida artist April White said she was excited to design motifs for the mint.
“I want to help people learn about our culture,” said White. “I want them to see it and enjoy it.”
White said the mint approached her to make a design for one coin, but she envisioned a whole set and submitted designs for three.
Trained as a geologist, White said she was always drawn to art, even spending her last few dollars on paints before heading out on a geological survey camp as a young University of British Columbia geology graduate.
“I was almost possessed to get those watercolours before I left,” she said. “I knew I would have to entertain myself in camp.”
Also known as Sgaana Jaad, the painter and sculptor is the direct descendant of Haida artist Charles Edenshaw of the Eagle Clan.
“Sgaana Jaad means killer whale or powerful woman,” said White. “It was a name given by elders that represents my personality, but a bit of something to aspire to as well.”
Dividing her time between Powell River and Masset in Haida Gwaii, White had previously designed a stamp for Pacific Salmon Foundation in 2014 and said she enjoyed designing the small coins.
“I would consider doing it again,” said White. “I enjoyed thinking in different directions and scales of size.”
White said she was pleased with how the coins turned out, but the elongated shapes used in Haida art had to be rounded out to contend with the enameling process used to make coins.
“I had to change the design to make it work,” said White, “even though it doesn’t quite look right to me, I think about it as a collaboration.”
White said she chose the three figures of eagle, killer whale and bear for the coins because of their importance in Haida myths. For example, the myth of the bear mother is particularly tied with matriarchy and leadership, she said.
“We see the beings with their cloaks on in our natural world,” said White, “but in the supernatural world they can slip from one form to another and take their cloaks off.”
For more information about White’s coins, go to Royal Canadian Mint’s website at mint.ca.
