Alert Bay/ Mad Woman of the Woods

30×40 inches acrylic on canvas Alert Bay on North Vancouver Island has an impressive collection of old Totems. If the bird on the top of the pole has its wings outstretched it is thunderbird. If the wings are down such as in the painting it is the Eagle Crest. The Mad Woman of the Woods or Sonoqua was the equivalent of our Boogy Man. When the woman and children would be out picking berries the mother would say to the children do not wander away as the Sonoqua will eat you up! This was a real threat as bears, cougars and wolves would snatch the children.