Terry Starr was born in Prince Rupert in 1952 and belongs to the Eagle clan of the Tsimshian Nation. He purchased his first set of carving knives in 1982, and although he had no formal training, he did receive guidance from Richard Hunt and Tim Paul at the B.C. Provincial Museum in Victoria, in 1984. In 1988, Terry worked on one of the longhouses that were sent to the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec. These longhouses can still be viewed at the Museum.