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Dr. William Good is a Hereditary Chief from the Snuneymuxw First Nation, in Nanaimo, B.C.. He is the Master Carver, Storyteller and Cultural Historian responsible for revitalizing the traditional Coast Salish Snuneymuxw art form. He has spent decades researching this almost extinct visual language of the Coast Salish people, and has spent years producing art and teaching it to students, as well as sharing it with the community. On June 23, 22 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Vancouver Island University for his dedication to the revitalization of the Traditional Snuneymuxw Coast Salish style, what he refers to as a visual written language. Over the decades, he has worked in many media, including hand-pulled limited edition silk screens, painting, gold and silver jewellery, art restoration, garment manufacturing and carving-plaques, panels, steam bent boxes and totem poles. In his retirement years, he continues to carve master works with his son W. Joel Good and he collaborates with his family to create garment designs for Ay Lelum The Good House of Design.
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Having worked and produced art in his community since the late 1970’s, Dr. William Good has a vast body of work. A few features are that he has carved the “Welcome” Poles for the City of Nanaimo at Duke Point, has contributed knowledge and carvings for the permanent Snuneymuxw Exhibit at the Nanaimo Museum, and has carved the story of Sque-em for the City of Nanaimo Public art exhibit. Having had an open Art Studio, an Art Gallery called Art of the Siem in the 1990’s and wholesaling to Galleries, his works have been shown and sold all over the globe. With a publication in the Royal BC Museum Curious Magazine called “Restoring balance: Reuniting Coast Salish Art and Oral History” written by his daughter Aunalee Boyd-Good, you can see how the impact of his years of research, Mastering the traditional Coast Salish art style and how his contributions have had an immense impact on his community and his family.
Dr. William Good was awarded the prestigious City of Nanaimo Culture and Heritage Award, “Honor in Culture” for 2018. This is awarded to an individual who has contributed to the cultural fabric of the City of Nanaimo. With his decades of research and revitalization of the Traditional Coast Salish style of the Snuneymuxw area, receiving this award is a great honor.
