Sts’aamu qwus

Sts’aamu qwus is the Hul’qumi’num term for Sasquatch. This print is Phil Joe’s third limited edition print.

The legend of Sasquatch, or Bigfoot has deep roots in the oral traditions of Indigenous cultures in the Pacific Northwest. For many, Sasquatch is a physical being and spiritual entity. It moves between the human and spirit worlds.

In his latest limited edition print, Phil Joe has emphasized this dual nature through bold, flowing forms that blend human‑like features with the strength and presence of a guardian figure. Wide, expressive eyes, heavy brows, and large hands and feet signal its deep awareness of the land and its role as a protector.

Phil Joe has presented Sasquatch as an ancestral being whose presence reminds people of the living relationships between humans, animals, and the land itself.

For more information on the meaning of Sasquatch in Northwest Coast art, please read: The Sasquatch in Northwest Coast Native Art: Meaning and Symbolism

This limited edition silk screen print titled “Sts’aamu qwus” by Phil Joe was hand produced by the screen printing process. It is the only limited edition printing of this design. The artist has inspected and signed each copy in the edition. All trial copies of this edition have been destroyed and the printing stencils obliterated.