Northwest coast Native art portray characters from the traditional stories, such as Raven, Mouse Woman and the Thunderbird; while other West coast Native masks portray contemporary people, issues and events. Early in his career as an Indigenous artist, David visited the major public collections of Northwest Coast Native American art, where he seen Northwest Native art that was contemporary for their time: representing issues like starvation, or a mourning mask for a chief’s daughter. This inspired him to create Contemporary Northwest Indigenous art: masks and prints that represent the people and issues of our time. He believes that Northwest Coast Native Indian tradition is a foundation to build upon, not a boundary to restrain creativity.