SHIRT EAGLE 3/4 LENGTH DISCONTINUE

Eagle - Kuustak (Haida) Design by Jesse Brillon (Haida/Cree)

Eagles are one of the two main clans in Haida culture. Erin & Jesse are Eagle Clan of the Skidegate Haida from their matrilineal inheritance. Amongst most Indigenous tribes, eagles are the most sacred of all animals. In our Cree tradition, this is because the eagle flies closest to the Creator and therefore is the most connected to the source of all things.

This sleek black top is made from 66% Bamboo/28% Cotton/6% Spandex and has been designed to flatter every body. Available in six sizes from XS to 3XL, the fit is true to size, not clinging around the hips and belly.

Eagle Design is hand-printed with water based metallic grey ink.

Totem Design House wants you to care where your stuff comes from! This product is:

• Eco-Friendly
• Locally Made
• Indigenous Made
• Hand Printed on Vancouver Island

Born in Prince Rupert, BC, Jesse Brillon is a visual artist whose interest in Haida Art began as a boy. While accompanying his grandfather on fishing excursions to the islands of Haida Gwaii, the mystical richness of the land unfolded to his creative and spiritual senses. He developed a love for the many unique islands and adopted an intense respect for the ocean. He was impressed by the ecological richness, the abundant fish and animal species and how they wove themselves into the cultural canvas of the Haida People.

Jesse was influenced strongly by his Haida-Cree heritage and many art books as well as his exploration of the works of master artists Bill Reid, Robert Davidson and Don Yeomans. Upon his graduation from school his family presented him with a repousse bracelet by Don Yeomans and this gift sparked the desire to learn to carve. Jesse met with Don Yeomans, in Vancouver, BC, and began a one-year apprenticeship. He Later, apprenticed under Gitksan master jeweler Phil Janze. It was from Janze that he learned the advanced techniques of chasing and repousse. Jesse’s pieces are individualized by their boldness and depth, which are techniques found in traditional Haida art.

Jesse has emerged to be one of the top jewelry carvers of his generation. He has achieved a mastery of silver and gold and one of his pieces was included in the popular exhibition in 2003 “Totems to Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts of the Northwest and Southwest” curated by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Brillon continues in his art, and has applied his carving skills to working in wood as well.