by Skip Saunders
(Nuxalk)

Alder, paint, bark (13”x9”x8”)

$2250

Boqs – (Wild Man) – This beast somewhat resembles a man. It walks on its hind legs, in a stooping posture, its long arms swinging below the knees. The entire body, except the face, is covered with long hair. It terrifies its enemies by striking tree-trunks and breaking branches. In one story about boqs, a chief and some friends traveling by canoe once saw a boqs getting shell-fish. The creature hurriedly scraped up some clams with its forepaws and dashed off with these into the forest before coming back for more. The chief decided to attack the animal. He waited until it returned for another load of clams, then raised his musket and fired. Instead of killing the boqs, its supernatural power was so great that the hunter’s musket burst in his hands. The boqs shrieked and whistled as if in anger, and at once hordes of its mates came dashing out through the forest. The chief was able to escape with his friends in the canoe. (McIlwraith)