CULTURAL GROUP:
Kwakwaka'wakw/Tlingit

BORN:
November 10th, 1988

BIRTHPLACE:
Port Hardy, BC

Alan Hunt currently resides in Alert Bay, BC, where he dedicates himself to the cultural practices of his people as a singer in ceremonies and as an active participant in the potlatch. Alan began to carve in 2011, and has the great honour to be mentored by such esteemed master carvers as Beau Dick, Wayne Alfred, Marcus Alfred, and Bruce Alfred. He received his chieftainship from his grandfather, Chief Alfred (Hutch) Hunt, in 2015, coming from a long line of great chiefs who were active in ceremony and the preservation of the ways of their people. Alan’s chieftain name, Kwakwabalasami, means “people come from everywhere to sit and feast with me”, and was held by his great-grandfather, Jonathan Hunt. In Victoria, the First Peoples Gallery of the Royal BC Museum includes the great house of Chief Kwakwabalasami under agreement with the family with the knowledge that the cultural ownership remains with the family. Alan has carved in both Kwakwaka’wakw and Tlingit style, honouring his bloodlines with work that embodies the richness of both artistic styles. Alan connects strongly to his ancestors, knowing that this connection is essential to his spirit. In carving, Alan connects to his matrilineal bloodlines, which include Mungo Martin and Jonathan Hunt (Odi). It is because of these connections that Alan’s approach to carving has been to uphold the discipline of using traditional tools and methods as this bridges Alan and his pieces to his great ancestors, thereby embodying great authenticity.