MASK SPIRIT WITHIN - RAY NATRAORO

RAY NATRAORO

CHIEF RAY NATRAORO SES SIYAM

Squamish/Coast Salish

Chief Ray Natraoro (Ses Siyam) is Squamish/Coast Salish, and Tlingit and Tutchose. Ray inherited his Great Grandfather Andy Natrall ancestral name Kaapulk. He is a master carver and seventh-generation canoe carver who works in many different styles. Many of the carvings in the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and around Whistler are works by Ray, including canoes, welcome poles, house posts and contemporary artwork. The Xaays Canoe a distinctive feature of the Great Hall – is a 40ft ocean-going canoe carved from a single log in the Squamish Nation “Hunting Style” – a style that hadn’t been carved in 100 years, and was referenced by studying older canoes with Master Carvers.