HONG KONG TOTEMS UPDATE PART 1

Well my friends we are in the crowded land of Hong Kong and thoroughly amazed about this busy crowded multi-cultural city, to say the least. Over seven million people crowded into a small space, spread out over and island that is surrounded by other beautiful little islands with sandy beaches and unique rock formations. Much of the ocean vision from our apartment is fishing boats below us and continual transport frieghters out in the channel, oh and three very tall coal smoke spewing chimney stacks on the island accross the channel.

Our hosts at the school in HK are fabulous, we have met quite a few teachers already and once the New Year Holiday is finished we will meet the kids. More to come.

FOR VIDEO GO TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL ON HOME PAGE

HONG KONG HERE WE COME!

The journey started about 6 months ago, only a couple months after my return from my first trip ever to China,

with my cousin Calvin Helin. I had been re-approached by the Canadian International School of Hong Kong, to be their first artist in residence

at their school. About a year and a half before that they had contacted me and their principal, Dave McMasters, a former Qualicum Beach residence,

dropped into my art gallery and asked me if I would be interested in going to Hong Kong to teach about my Tsimshian Art and Culture.

  After the first invitation I wasn`t too interested and then after I returned from my 4 city tour of the smoggy country of China I proclaimed that I

could never spend any time over there again, becuase when you live in a beautiful place like Vancouver island the heavy horrible smog of China

isn`t very inviting at all to say the least.

Now that I have had a chance to explore Hong Kong online and in books I can see that it isn`t quite as bad as the rest of China, mainly because it is

located by the ocean where the air is cleased by the salty waters, but with of 5 million people you know the city will have it`s heavy polluted

days for sure.

           MY JOURNEY TO PRINCE RUPERT AND LAX KW`ALAAMS 2011

LETTING GO OF DAD   

      In the past 4 years I have made a summertime journey north to recapture some of my connection to my

fathers footsteps and maybe even find some way, eventually to share my artistic wisdom with my Tsimshian

tribe and family in Prince Rupert and my fathers birthplace, the village of Lax Kw`alaams, north of PR. After

making my first two trips up in previous two summers with my good friends and brother inlaw I felt that I had

reconnected with my fathers spirit and finally after 8 years without him I was able to let him go free to his true

homeland and fishing grounds, something that has given me relief and contentment after missing him so much.

 INVITATION

BILL HELIN TEACHES ABOUT BUYING ABORIGINAL JEWELRY

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In this two part series Tsimshian Jewelry Artist Bill Helin teaches about what to

look for when purchasing your first Native carved bracelet and what look for to best

understand what the carved details mean.

"Most people have no idea what the symbols are that are engraved into their wearable

art pieces and some have even been misinformed by the retailer that sold it to them."