Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain reflects Annie Nash’s concern with process, surface, and space.  The viewer is enveloped in a richly colored and highly textured world that stretches to the edges of the picture plane, with the suggestion that it goes beyond.  The use of color and layering is informed by experiences with glass, light, and complex painting processes.

The large spirit paddles that dominate the picture plane are spirit paddles used in Coast Salish Spirit Canoe healing ceremonies.  The white vertical shapes refer to spirit guardians who helped the spirit doctors along their journey to heal the sick.  This ceremony is closely related to the Prophet Dance of the early 19th century during which the participants danced in order to hasten the return of the dead and the renewal of the world, particularly the world as it was before European contact. The Prophet Dance was a precursor of the famous Ghost Dance movement of the 1870s and 1890s and was a ceremony that spread from from the upper Columbia River and adjacent regions in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho among the Plateau, Salish, and Coast Salish Indians.  The shells represent the gifts given at potlatch ceremonies, gatherings where a great feast is given to celebrate important events and confirm the economic and cultural power of a leader by the giving of gifts to the guests.  The rectanglular and circular shapes refer to windows, houses, cedar planks, chilkat blankets, and portals.  The portals are the physical and spiritual windows and doors through which the spirit doctors travel.  Chilkat blankets are made of mountain goat wool hand spun over a core of cedar-bark string.  Traditionally, they are finger-twined and finger-spun without a fixed tension on the warp.  They are worn during ceremonies.

The painting is named for Chief Joseph, the Salish leader of the Wallowa band of Nez Perce Indians whose people engaged in the Prophet Dance.  Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain is the English translation of the name given to Chief Joseph at birth: HinmatóowyalahtqÌÂÂA?it.  A photo of him appears in the upper left quadrant of the painting.  This painting honors those who came before.