Materials
Yellow cedar
Found only on the Pacific Coast of North America, the Yellow Cedar is at its best in the mountainous coastal forests of British Columbia. James prefers to use yellow cedar for smaller carvings as it holds small detail more over red cedar. James sources his wood from the upper Squamish valley, often being supported by the Squamish Nation.
Red cedar
Red cedar is the foundation of our culture as it was used for dugout canoes, bentwood boxes, house planks, clothing, and many tools such as arrow shafts, masks, and paddles. The inner bark made rope, clothing, and baskets. The long arching branches were twisted into rope and baskets. It was also used for many medicines. James works in Red cedar when he has to work on larger totem pole projects.
Abalone
Abalone shells are used for smudging ceremonies. They have also been used to highlight specific focal points in carvings. Because of its natural aesthetic of blues and greens, James has strategically used it as a stark contrast against both red and yellow cedar wood. In James' artworks he has used abalone shell as a highlight in the eyes of the animals in his works.
Copper
Throughout the coast, Copper was formed into the shape of a shield. Copper was often exchanged at higher values between chiefs at potlatch feasts. Coppers were particularly associated with the distribution of wealth at wedding feasts. First Nations along the coast used coppers as a marker and symbol of wealth, and some wealthy chiefs owned a dozen or more.