This panel brings to life a dynamic moment from coastal myth and storytelling: an epic encounter between Killer Whale (Sgaana), revered in Haida culture as a powerful supernatural ocean guardian, and Octopus (devil‑fish), a figure of transformation, adaptability, and mystery in Northwest Coast tradition.

In Haida and neighbouring Indigenous oral traditions, the Killer Whale is not merely an animal, but a spirit being of immense strength, often associated with chiefs of the undersea realm, guardianship, and journeying between worlds. Stories tell of supernatural Killer Whales rising to confront a monstrous Octopus that was terrorizing sea life and people, summoning sharp‑toothed ocean beings to restore balance.

Don Yeomans captures this mythic drama with remarkable energy and narrative clarity. The panel shows the fierce clash of these beings at a moment of tension and transformation; yet, true to Yeoman’s spirit, there’s a playful tip of the hat: look closely and you’ll notice the Octopus is missing a leg, a subtle gesture that brings humour and humanity into the mythic struggle, as if even the largest battles have room for deeper storytelling and reflection.

Rendered in Yeomans' distinctive Haida formline style, this work is both a visual epic and a cultural conversation, evoking ancestral power, the fluidity of oceanic life, and the layered meanings found in Haida legends.