Dale Campbell (born 1954) is a Canadian First Nations carver from the

Tahltan The Tahltan or Nahani are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. The Tahltan constitute the fourth division of the ''Nahan ...

nation of northern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. Her Tahltan name is Tahlthama which translates to "Tahltan Indian Mother".

Early life and career

Dale Campbell was born in

Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...

, in 1954. Her ancestry is Tahltan from

Telegraph Creek Telegraph Creek is a small community located off Highway 37 in northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Stikine River and Telegraph Creek. The only permanent settlement on the Stikine River, it is home to approximately 250 members of ...

. She is of the

Wolf clan The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though grey ...

. In 1972 Campbell began an apprenticeship with the Tahltan carver Dempsey Bob and has also worked with the

Haida Haida may refer to: Haida people Many uses of the word derive from the name of an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. * Haida people, an Indigenous ethnic group of North America (Canada) ** Council of the Haida Nati ...

carver Freda Diesing. The Museum of Northern British Columbia uses an eagle logo that was designed by Campbell. Her design won their competition in 1976. Campbell is known for her contributions to indigenous art in Canada. Her career as an artist began to gain recognition in the early 2000s. She has been creating art since 1972. Dale Campbell works with a variety of materials to create her pieces including wood, metal, glass, etc. She has worked alongside artists Bob Dempsey and Frida Diesing, one of the few women carvers, to fine tune her carving skills.

Totem poles

Many of Campbell's artworks are wood carvings. She regularly attended the annual Santa Fe Indian Market and won first place for her paddle carving titled "eagle harvesting the salmon" in the diverse art category. She specializes in carving totem poles and masks, including a 1982

totem pole Totem poles () are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large t ...

carved for the Museum of Northern British Columbia in Prince Rupert.

References

Bibliography

* Jensen, Doreen, and Polly Sargent (1986) ''Robes of Power: Totem Poles on Cloth.'' Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press. * Lough, Shannon, “Tahltan Artist Takes First Place for Paddle Carving.” The Northern View, September 12, 2017. https://www.thenorthernview.com/community/tahltan-artist-takes-first-place-for-paddle-carving-5948099. * Lough, Shannon, “Video and Story: Heart of Our City - Carving Her Best.” The Northern View, May 10, 2017. https://www.thenorthernview.com/community/video-and-story-heart-of-our-city-carving-her-best-5947706. * “Dale Campbell.” Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Ltd. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://inuit.com/pages/dale-campbell. 1954 births Living people 20th-century First Nations sculptors 20th-century Canadian sculptors Artists from British Columbia Canadian woodcarvers First Nations woodcarvers People from Prince Rupert, British Columbia People from the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine Tahltan people Women woodcarvers 20th-century Canadian women artists First Nations women artists {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub