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 ''Nahane' ...
nation of northern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. 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. Its location is 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 Tah ...
. She is of the
Wolf clan
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
.
[
In 1972 Campbell began an apprenticeship with the Tahltan carver ]Dempsey Bob
Dempsey Bob, D.Litt (born 1948) is a Northwest Coast woodcarver and sculptor from British Columbia, Canada, who is of Tahltan and Tlingit First Nations descent. He was born in the Tahltan village of Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River in northw ...
and has also worked with the Haida
Haida may refer to:
Places
* Haida, an old name for Nový Bor
* Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands
* Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia
Ships
* , a 1 ...
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 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