Preston Singletary is a Tlingit artist working in glass. The Tlingit people are famous for their art and storytelling and the incredible iconographic tradition that they have built is unique and awe-inspiring. This short film tells the story of Raven and the Box of Daylight, a Tlingit creation myth from the Pacific Northwest, as explored through the creation of a glass installation. By fusing his cultural heritage with a new artistic medium, Singletary is able to link tradition with modernity and produce something innovative and incredibly beautiful.
The idea that humanity should be bonded to the land and cultivate knowledge of it is a wonderful one. If modern humanity wants to be bonded to the whole planet and wander the Earth, we need a vast storehouse of such knowledge to sustain that without exploitation. The way to do that is to listen to the people who know each place and honor their knowledge.