The Spirit of Kia

The Spirit of Kia is a chlorite sculpture which is pin and sleeve mounted on a piece of marble.  This piece is a mask in which the back is not carved.  On the marble base, the total height is about 8 1/2 inches.  

This small sculpture received a First Place ribbon during the 2017 Art Aloft show.

There was once a small, wandering, peaceful nation in search of their promised, forever home.  So many lives ago, the Great Spirit Father had promised to help them safely find their way.  As they traveled, they met other friendly nations who would listen to the story of their search, offer them food, buffalo hides and offer protection with safe passage through difficult areas.  

At a most troubling time, when the now elderly nation reached the mighty water in the West,  the Great Spirit Father sent a large dark, almost black bird to guide them.  With wonderful eyesight and distinctive call, Kia would be able to fly at night and call to them which way to go.  As they traveled in their dugout canoes, Kia would fly down and land on the bow to offer direction.  

They traveled from small island to small island, resting under their dugout canoes and buffalo hide shelters.  They found wonderful berries, fields of grains, trees with fruit and nuts, and salmon in the waters.  But still, Kia kept flying more northward.  

After multiple generations, and so many changes made because of new people with eyes of the sky and hair of the clouds, they came to a small island near what is now the western Canadian and United States border.  It was there, on a beautiful full moon lit night, which some called Thunder Moon, when Kia left them, flying like an arrow, straight upward crying with its loving voice.  

May you find Kindness, Inspiration, and Awareness of all that is beautiful around you.

Story by Jerry Finn

This sculpture has gone to a new home.  It was adopted by the new owner at the 27th annual "Honey, I Shrunk the Art" show at the Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park on Camano Island, WA.