Skip to content

Time Traveller: Hereditary Chief and master carver Floyd Tyee Joseph

This carving hung in the mayor's office at North Vancouver City Hall
chief-floyd-tyee-joseph

Elder and Hereditary Chief Floyd Tyee Joseph, master carver, painter and silversmith, was born at X̱wemelch'stn in 1953.

From an early age Joseph demonstrated remarkable artistic abilities which led him to study art at Capilano University.

The above photo shows Joseph ca. 1975, standing next to his carving Creation of the Elements and the Rebirth, which hung in the mayor’s office inside North Vancouver City Hall. Made from a single block of red cedar, the carving features the eagle with a bear and a fish in its outstretched wings with a sun mask on its breast. June is National Indigenous History Month.

Visit the MONOVA website for more information about the history of the North Shore and to plan your visit to MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, now open at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards.

Currently, MONOVA: Archives of North Vancouver, at 3203 Institute Road in Lynn Valley, is open by appointment only. Contact: [email protected]

Navigate culture on the North Shore by using the North Shore Culture Compass.