Grand Hall tour

Standing-on-the-Beach

This large human figure once stood against the central beam in a Nuu-Chah-Nulth house on Vancouver Island, built by Nawek' on the occasion of his daughter's coming into womanhood. The figure represents the Creator and is a reminder of a distant time when people were first brought into being. The figure faced the rear of the house so it could be seen by the honoured guests who sat with the host chief at potlatches. During a potlatch, the oblong wooden ball held by the Standing on the Beach was taken from its hands and was rolled into the audience -- whoever grabbed it won a prize. There were songs associated with this game; the right to sing them and the right to the game itself were inherited.