Raven and First Men

Lionel Dexter Samuels was a Haida artist born in 1963 on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. He was a member of the Yahgu 'laanaas Raven clan, and his grandfather was Captain Andrew Brown, a well-known Haida argillite carver. His aunt was Haida artist Sharon Hitchcock. Samuels began carving at age seven under the guidance of George Yeltache and started sculpting professionally at twenty, featuring his work in major galleries.

Samuels worked primarily in argillite, a sedimentary rock found at Slatechuck Creek on Haida Gwaii, though he also carved in wood and silver. His argillite pieces featured carefully incised designs and included large figures, totem poles, pendants, earrings, pipes, and boxes. His work often depicted Haida mythological and spiritual figures such as Ravens, Frogs, Eagles, Killer Whales, and Sea Monsters, drawing inspiration from his ancestors and the Haida stories of his grandparents.

In 1990, Samuels travelled to Paris with Haida artist Bill Reid as a paddler on the canoe Lootaahs ("Wave Eater"). He professionally restored historical Haida argillite sculptures for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, and had three pieces in the Smithsonian's collection. His work was featured in American Indian Art Magazine. Samuels died in 2021 from COVID-19.