Junior Henderson

      Junior Henderson was born in 1976 and belongs to the Weiwaikum Band of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation. He comes from a family of artistic talent including his grandfather Sam Henderson and uncles Bill and Mark Henderson, all master Kwakwaka’wakw artists, and his father Dan Henderson, who is also an artist in his own right.

      Junior’s traditional name means “coppers all around” or “he has the value and esteem of coppers”, given to him by his late grandmother Mary Henderson, granddaughter of Chief Billy Assu of Cape Mudge.

At the age of twelve, Junior began his apprenticeship with his uncle Mark Henderson, then continued on three years later with his uncle Bill Henderson. He worked with Bill in Campbell River carving the totem poles for the Weiwaikum First Nations Big House.