Skaana

Description

Skaana

“Skaana” is translated as “spirit being” and is the Haida people’s word for Orca.  Orcas are believed to the powerful entities of the great spirit world beneath the seas.

The Haida people are matriarchal.  This means that the eldest women in the clan make the decisions.  Even though each clan has a chief, he still needs to run his ideas by the matriarch to get the go ahead.  Killer whales also have a matriarchal society; the oldest female tells the pod where to go, what to eat, and when.

This panel was intentionally build to somewhat mimic the Pacific Northwest people’s art style.  You’ll notice that it’s a “plated” panel, meaning that the orca itself it two different pieces of glass plated over each other in order to create a unique pattern.

Artist:
Patricia Von Niessen
Red Fox Art Glass

April 2025