This magnificent and significant work of art  by Ed Archie NoiseCat is titled  Thunder Protects Them  and it tells a story of the canoe journey in the Northwest and how it has been brought back by most of the communities along the northwest coast.

The sculpture measures 24.5" H 12.5" wide and 10" deep.

The piece is in the form of a welcoming figure which you would see facing the water in many communities on the Pacific Northwest Coast including the Salish, Quileute, Nuu-chah-nulth.  When there are visitors coming, they are always approaching by water. The figure with its arms out-stretched is placed there to greet guests and invite them to come up onto to the shore.
On the hat there is depiction of a Thunderbird whose wings become the sky over a Salish ocean going canoe with four paddlers. The Thunderbird is a very important symbol throughout the Northwest.  Thunderbird is believed to have saved not only the Quileute and other tribes from starvation during some hard times back in time. Thunderbird is believed to have brought a whale to the people.
The eyes are inset dimes.
On the front of the figure there is a cross made of copper with a field of hail over the water.  This is one of the worst things that can happen on the ocean- an ocean storm, but the Thunderbird watches over the paddlers.
The design on the apron, which is carved in light relief and highlighted in metallic silver paint, is that of a wolf.  Many Salish creation stories are based in the belief that a lot of the Salish and Northwest Coastal People are descended from wolves.
The piece is carved of indigenous wood. The primary wood is Osage orange which the artist harvested in Santa Fe.  The hat is made of Red Cedar and is signed on the breastplate of the Thunderbird. This work is one of a series of pieces Ed Archie NoiseCat is currently creating carved from indigenous North American trees.  The dimensions of the wondrous sculpture are: 12.25" x 25" x 10".You can visit him while he carves at LoneDog NoiseCat Gallery.
Here is a video about the Tribal Canoe Journey: http://youtu.be/UzNkyXYrm4Q
Ed Archie NoiseCat and Todd LoneDog Bordeaux had been showing their art  for over a decade together from Seattle to Indianapolis to Phoenix and Santa Fe. As their paths crossed and their friendship grew, so did their outlook on marketing and show ideas. The seed for a Native American/First Nations gallery formulated when the artists met at the Eiteljorg Museum in June 2013. Seven days later, they had the lease to 241 Delgado street in Santa Fe NM.