Copper Mountain Chief

Once the providers in our communities were responsible for protecting our resources; ceremonies ensured the bounty of our hunts and survival of our people. Today, due to the devastation of our natural world and our people’s poverty, our leaders turn to corporations hungry for resources.
The tribal government of Ahousaht, located in an UNESCO biosphere reserve just up the coast from my home, has just approved the first step towards creating an open pit copper mine on Chitapii (Catface Mountain). Chitapii is sacred to the Ahousaht people–it is the place of the last thunderbird sighting.
Copper Mtn Chief is the modern day provider: he wears a thunderbird forehead mask with copper-penny feathers. Ironically copper has always been a symbol of power and wealth on the Coast.