The groundhog, or marmot, is an appropriate animal for a part in the dramatization of Nanyaayi tradition. In ancient times an interior people, they migrated down the Taku River to the coast and eventually settled near the mouth of the Stikine, retaining contact and a trade monopoly with the Athapascan Tahltan of the interior. The marmot, the mountain goat, and the grizzly bear all came into the traditions of the Nanyaayi during their adventures in the mountains. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

Tlingit weavers also used their skills to produce articles of ceremonial dress other than dancing blankets. Among these were aprons, leggings, and a very few rare pouches, cartridge boxes, and shamans' hats. The largest and most spectacular of these ceremonial articles, however, was the tunic, either sleeved or sleeveless. Probably derived from a painted dance tunic, or perhaps an armor shirt, it was modified and conventionalized by the weaving process. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

Some of the most striking and aesthetically pleasing products of the Northwest Coast carvers' art are wooden bowls. We should not be surprised that a utilitarian bowl can be a work of art. It seems to be a universal human trait to regard food containers as worthy objects for aesthetic expression. Often without elaborate surface decoration, they depend on elegant proportion and relationships of pure form for their beauty. Complete mastery of tool and material is evident in this large, graceful feast bowl. (Holm, Spirit and Ancestor, 1987)

The paint is black.