Personalized Crests
Embark on a journey of personal expression with custom-designed crests by James Michels at Bent Cedar Box. With a dedication to individuality and meaning, James offers a range of designs that encapsulate someone, an emotion, or a significant event. Elevate your space with a crest that resonates with your unique story, crafted with care and precision. Experience the power of personalized artistry with custom orders available exclusively on this page.
Basic interpretations of the more common Northwest coast crests.
Bear
Strength. Introspection. Leamed humility. Motherhood & teaching
Beaver
Industrious. Resourceful. Creative. Determined.
Dogfish
Persistence & strength. Innate leadership.
Eagle
Honor. Power. Leadership. Wisdom. The eagle flies high above the world, possessing a broad perspective of it all.
Eagle Feather
Honoring. Respect. Strength.
HaliIbut
Honoring. Respect. Strength.
Hawk
A messenger, often from the spirit world and the ancestors. Strength.
Heron
Patience. Grace.
Hummingbird
Agility. Love. Beauty. Among the more northern nations, the Hummingbird is seen as a messenger. If he appears during a time of great sorrow or pain, healing will soon follow. He also symbolizes the fragility of nature and all living things.
Killer Whale
Beauty and power. Traveler & guardian. The Haida believe that killer whales are human counterparts who have their own complex societies beneath the sea. Among the KwakwakaÕwakw, killer whales are thought to be ancestors reincarnated.
Loon
Peace. Tranquility. Generosity.
Moon
Protector. Guardian.
Raven
A universal cultural hero on the Northwest Coast. Raven is the Trickster, the Transformer. He is associated with Creation. According to some stories, Raven brought light to the world, placing the sun, moon, and stars in the sky.
Salmon
Dependability & Renewal. A Provider. Salmon is a major source of sustenance on the Northwest Coast. Salmon is considered a gift to the people, honored in stories and ceremonies. Many communities regard the salmon as deceased relatives returning to feed the living. In First Salmon ceremonies, the first catch of the season is eaten in ceremony, and all the bones are carefully returned to the sea so that the salmon will return to feed the people the following year.
Sun
Provides the earth with healing energy and life. According to some oral traditions, Raven, tossed the Sun into the sky, where it remains today. For other communities, their first human ancestors, transformed from the sun.
Thunderbird
Power. Strength. Leadership. The Thunderbird lives high in the mountains. According to some traditions, Thunderbird causes thunder when he flies or ruffles his feathers. When he blinks his eyes, he causes lightning. He is so huge, he can easily pick up a Killer whale in each talon.
Wolf
Represents intelligence and leadership. Wolf is a pathfinder, the forerunner of new ideas, and a patient teacher. Within a wolf pack, there may be individualism, but there is also a predominant sense of family. Wolves mate for life, and thus represent loyalty and family values.