Walter Harris

Gitskan artist Walter Harris began his career as a carpenter, before studying at the Ksan School of Northwest Coast Native Art in 1969. He trained with renowned artists Doug Cranmer, Robert Davidson, Bill Holm, and Duane Pasco, and later became an instructor himself.

Hereditary Chief of Kispiox, Walter created totem poles, masks, and monumental works for museums and public spaces across Canada. His major projects included carvings for the Royal Bank in Vancouver, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, the BC Provincial Museum in Victoria, the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, and the Canadian Embassy in Paris.

His work was exhibited widely, including at the Vancouver Centennial Museum, the Museum of Anthropology, the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, and The Legacy exhibition, which toured Canada and the United Kingdom beginning in 1980. Walter Harris received the Order of Canada in 2005. He passed away on January 12, 2009.