GOLD CLOISONNÉ SALMON PIN BY GREG HORNER

Salmon is a figure of renewal, a provider and life source for humans and animals.

This Salmon pin in Northwest Native Art style is an original design by Haines artist Greg Horner. A life-long Alaskan, Greg is known for his gold and silver jewelry in Northwest Coast Indian Style. Greg's work evolves out of his own personal experiences and interpretation of traditional Native art forms and imagery. He strives toward originality and the exceptional level of craftsmanship that is the legacy of the Northwest Coast Native Art. Greg lives and works with his family year-round in Haines, Alaska, where all five species of Pacific Salmon swim and spawn.

Chinook, Sockeye, Coho, Chum, and Pink Salmon can all be found running the Inside Passage and up the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers throughout the spring and summer, returning to the freshwater lakes and streams where they were born. This abundance of salmon draws a plethora of wildlife to the area- seals, sea lions, humpback whales, orcas, and porpoises are drawn up the fjord following the running salmon; bears, wolves, foxes, hawks, and eagles can be found feasting on salmon on the shores of the sea, lakes and rivers. There is even a late fall chum salmon run in November on the Chilkat river, which draws about 4000 Bald Eagles (and about as many photographers...) to the area to feast on the spawned out salmon.

It is no surprise then that Salmon is a symbol of renewal for the Native People of this area; the success of the Tongass National Forest ecosystem (which includes most of Southeast Alaska), not to mention the people who live here, is dependent upon the consistent and reliable return of this keystone species year after year.

Salmon pin is approximately 1.5cm x 4.5cm; gold background.