Introduction
Aleut sculptor John Hoover said this image was inspired by a southeast Alaskan Native tradition. Salmon Woman was believed to be a beautiful guardian spirit who brought gifts of food to the people. Since the villagers depended so much on the salmon for their livelihood, they made petroglyphs, or drawings chipped in rock, of the beautiful Salmon Woman at the headwaters of salmon streams near their villages. Because Salmon Woman was so beautiful and irresistible to the salmon, the people placed her image there so that the salmon would want to return to that stream and spawn.

In many cultures throughout the world, animal images are often made for the purpose of showing respect to the spirit of the animals that the people use as a livelihood. Sometimes artists make artworks to be worn as masks during special ceremonies honoring those animals. At other times, artists may make masks simply as decorations to hang on the wall.