Pacific Coast Northwestern Native Art Wall Murals
at Museum of Civilization

Some of the most impressive works of Pacific Coast Northwestern Native art are the large wall murals found at the Museum of Civilization near Ottawa, Canada. Not only are they colorful but they are intricately designed. Some of the longhouses at the museum's Grand Hall exhibit features giant wall murals.

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The Tsimshian house at the Grand Hall features a very complex bear design at the center of its front. Part of this central design is shown below. The article on Pacific Coast Northwestern Native longhouses has a shot of the entire front with this bear flanked by two wolves.

Pacific Coast Northwestern Native Bear Design on Tsimshian House

Another house from the Grand Hall is the Nuu-Chah-Nulth one which also has an impressive wall mural. It features two thunderbirds with lightning snakes above them. The snakes represent the supernatural servants of the thunderbirds. Flanking the lightning snakes and thunderbirds are supernatural codfishes.

Pacific Coast Northwestern Native Art Wall Mural--
From Nuu-Chah-Nulth House-

Below are two more large wall murals on display at the Musuem of Civilization. Notice the common use of traditional colors red and black in Pacific Coast Northwestern Native art.