File consists of photographs of a dance performance at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds in Vancouver 1998. Norman Tait had completed a private pole commission that was publicly carved at the PNE, and he formed a group of Nisga'a dancers to commemorate the event.
This file consists of photos of and correspondence with the Tait family and their connection with Vickie Jensen, including work on Where the People Gather: Carving a Totem Pole (1992). These images were originally contained within the same photo album. An item-level description provided by Vickie upon accession:
1 page of b&w contact sheet (and negatives) from book launch for Where the People Gather held at MOA (Nov. 1995)
3 pages of colour photos of book launch for Where the People Gather held at MOA (Nov. 1995). Photos 1 & 2 show Norman speaking with Harry "Hammy" Martin on left, Isaac Tait, Vickie Jensen. #3 & 4 show Vickie speaking. #5 is Norman, Cheryl Higgs (Norman's partner at the time) and his mother Sadie Tait. Last photo on 1st sleeve is crowd clapping and Harry Martin, Isaac Tait, and Vickie Jensen. 2nd sleeve: photos 1 shows Vickie giving the carvers adzes from Africa. #2 shows Sadie Tait and son Robert "Chip" Tait. #3 shows Cheryl Higgs, Sadie & Chip Tait. Photos 4 & 5 shows Norman Tait dressed in Vickie's clothes doing the "Photographer's Dance" wearing photographer's mask that he and crew carved in 45 minutes. Bud Mintz (brown shirt, rust jacket) and Bill MacLennon (blue shirt) are visible in background (Vickie has this mask). Photo 6 shows Vickie talking with unknown couple. 3rd sleeve shows book launch at the Legacy gallery in Seattle. Photo #1 is Samish tribal chairman Kenny Hansen (seated), Mardonna McKillop, U Wash publisher (?), Vickie, Norman and Cheryl Higgs in the background. #2 is publisher (?) talking with Vickie and Norman in the Legacy gallery. #3 is Sue Battin and Bruce Jackson, Paul Miller, Ken Hansen (seated) and Vickie. #4 is dinner with Norman, Cheryl Higgs, Mardonna McKillop, John McKillop (standing), unknown woman, and Harry "Hammy" Martin (crew).
1 sleeve of Vickie's colour photos (negs missing) showing some photos taken at (1995?) opening of Wilp's Tsa-ak Gallery in West Vancouver with Norman and Lucinda Turner
4 sleeves of photos and 1 sleeve of negs (date unknown) of Lucinda Turner and Norman Tait (1st two sleeves + unknown model at fashion show, possibly wearing an Isaac Tait design); 3d & 4th sleeve is Isaac Tait and wife Deborah Lamal with giant moon mask.
1 sleeve of 2014 photos of Norman getting alder wood on a trip arranged by former carving student Kevin Berry (tall man in last photo) (also thank you letter from Kevin and his dream of Norman and Chip)
1 sleeve of some of the 2014 photos of Norman and youngest son Micah visiting MOA (MOA has a copy of these digital photos): 1 photo is two archivists, Karen Duffek, Micah and Norman (both seated) last photo is security guard at MOA (Tsak?) who knew Norman's family (particularly adoptive son Jimmy Tait) when they lived in Rupert
Personal letter to Vickie and Jay (from Reva Robinson and sketch of eagle from Norman) when we were on sabbatical in France (1986). Letter wonderfully describes how both Reva and Noman enjoy humour and where they find it--some in the work Reva and Norman were doing at prisons-this one about the Mission Institution. Also talking about being asked to welcome an Indonesian group arriving in a traditionally carved Phinisi and the humour in that.
Postcard Norman sent from Chicago (Oct. 1985) when he and Reva were traveling to look at Nisga'a materials
Nov. 13/85 letter regarding being back from the trip and 1% payment for money owed (I don't remember the loan) for photography I did for Norman.
2nd to last page has photos of Norman, shortly before his death in Vancouver, when his son Micah was visiting, also daughter Valerie and her son Chris. Last two photos were at the funeral. Photo with most people has Mercy Robinson Thomas (Wolf clan chieftainess) and unknown woman. Various Nisga' a villages would come and sing, in turn, around the casket.
Last page has photos from the Funeral feast in Prince Rupertof Grace ("Hope") Allen Tait with Norman's youngest son Micah. Also photos of Micah and his wife with Chip (Norman's youngest brother) and Edna Tait and another with Norman's daughter Valerie and her son Chris. One photo includes Vickie. Earlier photos of Norman doing a carving demonstration that Vickie handed out at the funeral.
Email from Chips wife, Edna Tait, explaining feast protocol for those of us attending Normans feast. Also funeral info for Robert (Chip) Tait.
This file consists of materials relating to the Tait family's artistic works, including carvings, totem poles, button blankets, exhibitions, and images of works in progress. These images were originally contained within the same photo album. An item-level description provided by Vickie upon accession:
The first sleeve with six prints I took when Norman, his brother "Chip" and daughter Valerie did a presentation of a canoe project to representatives from the Field Museum (maybe?) came to MOA to meet with him. Evidently there must have been some funding promised because they started to rough out the log and Ronnie Tessler photographed that. Her photos of that are in the MOA archives, I think. And then something happened with the log: either they discovered it was badly cracked or had rot but the became apparent that huge log couldn't be used. And after that, the project never went forward.
One sleeve of Norman Tait in regalia after completion of the PNE demonstration carving. A great group of Nisga'a dancers were on hand to honour the pole. There are more colour photos than are here, but I don't know where they are.
Norman Tait, Valerie Tait (doing a button blanket), Valerie's son Chris (Kris ?) (carving a mask) and Ron Telek (doing several large poster drawings) were part of an "in process" exhibition but I can't remember where it was held, a busy place downtown in Vancouver possibly. Mercy Robinson Thomas is writing in one photo.
5 sleeves of the ceremonies that Cap Mall put on for the anniversary (which one?) of the raising of the Capilano Mall poles in North Vancouver. Many others agree that these poles are some of Norman's best and most creative. One the third sleeve, Norman's nephew (Hope/Grace's son) Ed, is being recognized by Mercy Robinson Thomas who is the Wolf Clan Chieftainess. It could be that he was receiving a name and then danced. Valerie Tait is also in white buckskin and she is shown putting a contribution in the beaver bowl on the floor, as others then do. There's a large family grouping, Valerie with a baby (?) and Norman Tait with Reva Robinson Malkin.
1st sleeve of b&w photos: Norman Tait's "old woman with labret" mask
Verso: Norman's Mischievous Man button blanket (that went missing)
2nd sleeve: Norman showing his young carving crew some of the poles in the Great Hall that were his "teachers"
Verso: Isaac Tait working on the Native Education Center's doorway pole. He's finishing off the "cedar bark" that frames the doorway; one of the carver's portrait masks in holding on. There were four such portraits around the doorway.
3rd sleeve: the Native Ed pole nearing completion
Mounted on hardboard photo of Chip showing Isaac portions of Norman's sketch of the Native Ed pole
Harry "Hammy" Martin beginning deep cuts with a small chainsaw
Mounted version of Native Ed pole near completion
Letter to Andrea Laforet, CMC, regarding photos I took of Tsimshian/Nisgaa/NWC artifacts in the Copenhagen Museum in 1986 while we were on sabbatical. Also 3 pages of b&w 5x7 prints of the most interesting items, and listing of all NWC artifacts of interest.
Page of recent (2021) notes from Alver Tait about finding his daughter and photos from that reunion with her children. As a child she had been told her father was dead; only re-discovered in 2009
This file consists of images of totem poles and Ron Telek working on a mask. The totem pole pictures are taken by Vickie with annotated comments from Norman Tait about the Nisga'a totem poles in Lagalts' ap, Gingolx, Gitwinksihlkw and New Aiyansh. The black and white pictures are from a trip Vickie took to Prince Rupert where Chip Tait was working on a canoe. These images were grouped together upon accession.
