Trevor was born and raised on Haida Gwaii. His mother’s family is Cree from Sweetgrass, Saskatchewan. His father’s family is Gitxsan. Trevor grew up fishing, hunting, camping, and enjoying being close to nature and in a tight knit community.
When Trevor was 18 he moved to Vancouver to focus on creative writing, and eventually turned his creative focus towards music. He played guitar, bass, and sang and rapped in many different bands, including hip hop, reggae, funk and rock groups. He was a songwriter in many of those projects. Acting was also something that he dabbled in.
After spending 15 years in Vancouver and starting a family, he settled in the Cowichan Valley and focused on visual art. He apprenticed under Coast Salish artist Herb Rice, learning the craft of wood carving, working on plaques and totems. After a couple of years Trevor started to develop his own style, which draws from his own experience of growing up around Haida art; living in Duncan, the “City of Totems”, which provided many different examples of different carving styles; and studying different styles up and down the coast.
A commitment to ceremony helps Trevor to maintain this connection to spirit, as well as staying connected to the land. He also works part-time as a youth worker at the Duncan Native Friendship Centre to stay connected with the Cowichan community and give back. He works teaching carving, working on hip hop with youth, and advocating/mentoring with high-risk youth.
