SAM Song for the Moon Tote Bag

Featuring artwork Song for the Moon by Seattle artist Shaun Peterson

Native philosophies offer different ways of knowing the land, including the belief that all animate and inanimate beings are alive and indivisible from the land. Nature and its many features are thought to be sacred, not scenic. According to an orally transmitted Puyallup narrative, the land was formless at the beginning of time and its beings didn’t have their distinct characteristics. The creator sent dukwibuł, the Changer, to shape the formlessness into mountains, lands, and waterways and to give animals their talents so that humans could prosper and live in harmony with all life forms. Since then, humans have moved through the landscape on seasonal journeys—from saltwater to freshwater, from beach to mountains—collecting food and materials for living. The Changer is here represented by the face in the Moon, where he went after his long journeys were done. He is instructing Wolf to protect humans through prayer and ceremony, hence the drum.

Designed by Shaun Peterson (Qwalsius), local artist of the Tulalip/Puyallup Nations. Song for the Moon can be seen at SAM in the Third Floor Galleries.  Several pieces of his work are featured in our permanent collections.

SAM Exclusive

Material:  Cotton canvas tote bag, woven handles

Dimensions:  15.25 x 15 inches, handle drop = 10.25 x 6.5 inches