Willie Seaweed

Willie Seaweed, whose hereditary chief name was Hilamas ("He Who Clears the Path"), was the hereditary head of the Nak'waxda'xw nation at Blunden Harbour, British Columbia. Refusing to convert to Christianity, Seaweed spent his long life preserving the sacred winter Hamatsa ceremonials during the potlatch ban era.

Seaweed's carving style was revolutionary for its exquisite geometrical symmetry: he used calipers and carpenter's compasses to create perfect concentric ovoids, accented with vibrant commercial enamel paints in red, black, and white. His colossal Crooked-Beak of Heaven and Raven masks are celebrated as summits of world indigenous sculpture.