David R. Boxley
Encyclopedia
David Robert Boxley also known as D. Robert Boxley, is an Alaskan artist and totem-pole
carver from the Tsimshian
Indian community of Metlakatla
in southeast Alaska
. He is the son of the carver David A. Boxley
, his mentor. His mother, Elizabeth, is non-Native, but was adopted into the Tsimshian Laxsgiik
(Eagle clan).
His former Tsimshian name was Lapaaygm xsgyiik, which means "He Who Flies Like the Eagle" in the Tsimshian language
.
In 1999 he, along with his brother, Zach, was adopted into the Laxgyibuu (Wolf Clan), House of T'ałm Ha'ax, by Doreen Nathan, his father's aunt. This was done to correct his Eagle clan affiliation since he had to have an opposite clan from his father, David A. Boxley. (Tsimshian Indians follow the matralineal tradition of most Northwest Coast tribes.)
He was given the name Gyibaawm laxha, which means "Wolf of the Sky". This was to honor his new clan, but also to pay homage to his father, and his former clan, the Laxsgyiik (Eagle clan).
By the 1980s he was living with his parents and brother Zachary in Kingston, Washington
.
Since 2000, he has carved sixteen totem poles with his father and carved his first solo totem pole in 2005.
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
carver from the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
Indian community of Metlakatla
Metlakatla, Alaska
Metlakatla is a census-designated place on Annette Island in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,375.- History :...
in southeast Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. He is the son of the carver David A. Boxley
David A. Boxley
David Albert Boxley is an American artist from the Tsimshian nation, an American Indian group in southeast Alaska. He is best known for carving totem poles....
, his mentor. His mother, Elizabeth, is non-Native, but was adopted into the Tsimshian Laxsgiik
Laxsgiik
The Laxsgiik is the name for the Eagle "clan" in the language of the Tsimshian nation of British Columbia, Canada, and southeast Alaska...
(Eagle clan).
His former Tsimshian name was Lapaaygm xsgyiik, which means "He Who Flies Like the Eagle" in the Tsimshian language
Coast Tsimshian
Coast Tsimshian, known by its speakers as Sm'algyax, is a Tsimshianic language spoken by the Tsimshian nation in northwestern British Columbia and southeastern Alaska...
.
In 1999 he, along with his brother, Zach, was adopted into the Laxgyibuu (Wolf Clan), House of T'ałm Ha'ax, by Doreen Nathan, his father's aunt. This was done to correct his Eagle clan affiliation since he had to have an opposite clan from his father, David A. Boxley. (Tsimshian Indians follow the matralineal tradition of most Northwest Coast tribes.)
He was given the name Gyibaawm laxha, which means "Wolf of the Sky". This was to honor his new clan, but also to pay homage to his father, and his former clan, the Laxsgyiik (Eagle clan).
By the 1980s he was living with his parents and brother Zachary in Kingston, Washington
Kingston, Washington
-External links:* *...
.
Since 2000, he has carved sixteen totem poles with his father and carved his first solo totem pole in 2005.
Sources
- Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane (1990) Totem Pole. New York: Holiday House.
- Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane (1997) Potlatch: A Tsimshian Celebration. New York: Holiday House.