Walter George
Walter George, formally Walter Brown, is a Kwakwaka’wakw artist from the 'Nakwaxda’xw First Nation through his mother’s lineage and holds a chieftainship role. He was born in Port Hardy at the northeastern tip of Vancouver Island in 1991.
Walter carries a strong passion for his culture in many aspects of learning history, singing, dancing, carving and painting pieces to tell the stories of his people. Inspired by his late Grandfather William George Sr., Walter began drawing as a young child and would draw replicate pieces made by William.
At the age of 18, Walter began to pick up on his artwork. He began carving in 2010 under the mentorship of Charles Willie and has since worked under the apprenticeship of many artists to reach his current abilities. Today, he is a respected artist in his community for his dedication and support to his people for providing pieces for ceremonial use.
In addition to carving masks and drum logs, Walter is currently carving poles for the Gwa’sala-'Nakwaxda’xw Big House on the Tsulquate reserve near Port Hardy.