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Chief Wakas

In kwakwaka'wakw (kwakiutl) ceremonies, carved staffs called talking sticks are held by people making important speeches on behalf of a chief. This pole represents the talking stick and characters in an Owikeno story belonging to Chief Wakas...

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Beaver Crest
Carved in 1987 by Nisga'a artist Norman Tait along with his son Isaac, brother Robert, and nephew Ron Telek, this pole depicts how the Tait family's Eagle clan adopted the beaver as their crest, and how the eagle and raven met and shared the sky...
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Sky Chief
Hesquiat artist Tim Paul and Ditidaht artist Art Thompson carved this pole in 1988 to represent important characters in Nuu-chah-nulth history.
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Oscar Maltipi
First nations origin stories tell of the animals and supernatural beings who helped found family lineages. These stories are celebrated in songs, dances, and totem pole carvings. Kwakwaka'wakw artist Oscar Maltipi carved this pole in 1968...
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Thunderbird House Post
Carved house posts are used in traditional First Nations cedar houses to support the huge roof beams. This pole is a replica of a house post carved by Kwakwaka'wakw artist Charlie James in the early 1900s. Tony Hunt carved this replica in 1987...