Born in Prince Rupert on July 12, 1921, Reg Ashwell grew up in Terrace and later befriended painter Mildred Valley Thornton who introduced him to some of the Aboriginals she had painted, notably Chief August Jack Khatsahlano and Nimpkish carver Ellen Neel of Alert Bay. Ashwell's slim overview Indian Tribes of the Northwest (1977) was revised for further editions. This book offers photography and concise descriptions of the aboriginal tribes along the Northwest Coast. It highlights the rich tapestries of aboriginal cultural beliefs and traditions.

The Coast Salish people believe in the oneness of man with nature and lived in harmony with their environment until the early explorers and fur traders ventured west. Coast Salish: Their Art and Culture (Hancock House, 2006) highlights the Coast Salish tribe's basketry and weaving skills which they are renowned for, and well as the masks carved for ceremonial dances, and story telling that is crucial to their caste-based society.


BOOKS:

Ashwell, Reg. Indian Tribes of the Northwest (Hancock House, 1977). Reprinted in 2006 with a co-author credit to publisher David Hancock.
Ashwell, Reg. Coast Salish, Their Art, Culture and Legends (Hancock House, 1978, 1981). Reprinted as Coast Salish: Their Art and Culture (Hancock House, 2006) with a co-author credit to publisher David Hancock.

[BCBW 2016] "First Nations" "Anthropology"