Welcome the Caribou Man

Book excerpt: Gerard Rancourt Tsonakwa and Yolaikia Wapitaska, husband and wife, are from the Quebec/ Northeastern United States area. Using stone, antler, bone, and wood, they create powerful masks and sculptures which draw from Indian social and spiritual traditions. With modern as well as ancient techniques, they carve works of art which have beauty, originality, and great energy.Tsonakwa works with stone, wood, and other natural materials. He is also a master storyteller. For many years he has told the ancient legends of the Abenaki and other tribes to fascinated audiences across North America and Europe. Many of these stories are incorporated into the exhibition.Yolaikia Wapitaska sculpts primarily from deer antler, in keeping with the traditional Abenaki connection between the deer and the female aspect of life. Her small, intricate renderings reveal a cosmology of subtle and mysterious transformations.