Curator & Collector

Image of the Jody Broomfield-designed $3 coin, “Return of the Tyee”

Jody Broomfield, whom I met last week at the Aboriginal Artisans’ Village during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, was the one who created this beautiful design celebrating the return of the Tyee, or black salmon. This silver proof $3 coin was produced by Canada’s Royal Canadian Mint, and shows the salmon swimming in pairs. The circularity of the design mirrors the salmon’s association with the cycle of life (both its own and ours); the presence of paired salmon is regarded as auspicious in the art of the northwest coast’s First Nations.

It’s a great pity that at the same time as this salmon was produced, the West Coast salmon has suffered a dramatic and worrying decline in its numbers. I hope that government efforts, which are desperately needed, may be able to protect this fish so that we can indeed enjoy a return of the Tyee; perhaps Mr. Broomfield’s coin will help to raise awareness of the plight of the greatest west coast salmon.