Eulachon (ool-a-kin), a member of the smelt family, has always been prized by coastal and interior people. Their rendered oil was used for food, medicine and trade.

Artist Statement

This work is in celebration of Eulachon. Eulachon are small fish that reproduce in the major river systems on the West Coast. Their use has maintained a substantial role in cultural exchange, trade and commerce. This cultural exchange continues above the old intersecting travel routes known as "Grease Trails," which are today, the foundations of the provinces major transportation highways.

Eric Robertson

Special thanks to the following: Winona Scott, Jody Sparrow, Oliver Haskle, Tale'awtxw Aboriginal Capital Corporation. With respect to the Okanagan First Nation.

Eric Robertson is a Vancouver based installation artist. He graduated with honours at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 1988 and completed a Masters of Fine Arts at Concordia University in 1992. Robertson has exhibited since 1988 and his work has travelled Canada, United States, Peru, Denmark, and Korea. Drawing from First Nations (Gitksan) and mixed Euro-Canadian ancestry, his work is a personal exploration into the historical and contemporary dynamics of these relationships.