Vernon is a Tahltan First Nations Member of the Wolf
Clan. He was born in Whitehorse and raised in Mayo Yukon. Vernon admired his
Uncle Hugo Asp, who was a self taught carver. There were a few evenings
where Vernon would sit with his uncle and watch him carve and paint masks and
plaques for gifts. Vernon inherited his uncle’s carving tools. He
wanted to use them properly and so he enrolled into the Kitanmaax School of
Northwest Coast Indian Art in Old Hazelton, British Columbia. At
Kitanmaxx School he studied under Master carvers Vernon Stephens and Ken
Mowatt. Vernon also befriended Master carvers Phil Janze and Walter
Harris who are great mentors and friends.
After three years of formal teaching, Vernon moved back to the Yukon where he
altered his style by focusing on applying realism and European abstractions,
focusing also on true life story lines to apply to his pieces. The
abstractions that are applied are also derived from his mentor Ken
Mowatt. So after three years of study at Kitanmaax School; Vernon
redirected his education and enrolled into the Yukon Native Teacher Education
Program at Yukon College affiliated with University of Regina, Saskatchewan and
received his Bachelor of Ed.
Vernon has always had a passion to help people, especially youth. He has
taught workshops in First Nations art. He currently resides in Carmacks,
Yukon teaching at Tantalus School where he developed a visual arts and general
studies program for elementary and high school students, therefore fulfilling a
portion of his passion.
In appreciation, Vernon would like to thank all the people who have supported
him and his accomplishments.
Artists Bios 
