"This is a Raven rattle used by our chiefs in their Welcome dances and their Headdress dances.  The figures on the rattle represent Raven, a Man reclining on the  back with a Kingfisher bird, (sometimes it’s a Kingfisher, it depends on the design) and then a Hawk on the belly. The tongue in between the Man lying on the back and the Bird represents communication between the two worlds. This type of rattle, when danced, is held in what you think of as upside down, because from our old stories, we didn’t want the Raven to fly away so we turn him upside down."

Push play in the video above to hear David's description of the piece.