A WELL-KNOWN Canadian artist tells the story of a First Nations legend with his beautiful artwork in a new book.
Roy Henry Vickers, who was born in Greenville and who now lives in Hazelton, tells a story about a boy named Weget destined to bring light to the earth, which is covered by darkness, in Raven Brings the Light.
With the help of a raven skin that allows him to fly and transform into whatever he wants, he leaves Haida Gwaii and finds the Chief of the Heavens, who keeps light in a box.
It’s up to Weget to see if he can find a way to trick the chief and bring light to earth.
Although the story can be traced back 3,000 years – archeologists have found petroglyphs of Weget’s journey on the Skeena and Nass rivers – Vickers’ version comes from Chester Bolton, chief of the ravens, from the Village of Kitkatla.
Twenty of Vickers’ drawings bring the story to life, a story that Vickers says “belongs to the people of the northwest coast.” He teamed up with historian Robert “Lucky” Budd, who focuses on preserving and restoring oral histories, for the book.
Although Vickers is best known around the world for his iconic prints, he is also an accomplished carver, storyteller, author and a recognized leader in the First Nations community.