In shamanic culture, such as that of the Northwest Coast Native Americans, it is the shaman who is the medicine man, the diviner/priest, and a performing artist (for ritual purposes). He can mediate between the spiritual and living worlds with ease, and does this by becoming one with the   helping spirits he calls upon to aid him in his work. It is with his apparatus, such as the rattle pictured, that he attracts these helping spirits.

The raven is the most important of all animal representations in Northwest Coast art. Besides being the mythical creator of everything, the raven is the trickster deity (much like our African friend, Eshu Elegba), a culture hero, and a symbol of prestige (Stewart, 57). The raven is recognizable in Northwest Coast art because of the long beak with the tip turned slightly down.

The idea of transformation is central to understanding Northwest Coast culture. The equivalence between man, animal and spirit is extremely important. The three are interchangeable, especially among shamans. This interchangeability is widely represented in the art of the Northwest Coast, with humans and animals sharing body parts, or with a more obvious scene of metamorphosis between the two.