Image of a section of a totem pole, featuring a beaver, on Anthony Island, Haida Gwaii. This appears to be a pole now housed at the Museum of Anthropology (museum item #A50013). This museum item has the following description: "Base section of a wooden totem pole, crescent shaped in cross section and carved in shallow and deep relief. Depicted is a seated beaver with one potlatch ring between erect ears; protruding upper incisors; raised forepaws and hind paws grasping chewing sticks. Below its rectangular shaped crosshatched tail is a human face with large circular eyes. Traces of blue in eye sockets and around nostrils... Beaver was one of crests owned by the lineage of Chief Ninstints (Tom Price), 'Those Born Up the Inlet', of the Eagle moiety... Remainder of pole, except top figure, burned when the village was burned in 1892 by the Koskimo and the crew of a sealing schooner. ."
Image of a section of a totem pole, featuring a beaver, on Anthony Island, Haida Gwaii. This appears to be a pole now housed at the Museum of Anthropology (museum item #A50013). This museum item has the following description: "Base section of a wooden totem pole, crescent shaped in cross section and carved in shallow and deep relief. Depicted is a seated beaver with one potlatch ring between erect ears; protruding upper incisors; raised forepaws and hind paws grasping chewing sticks. Below its rectangular shaped crosshatched tail is a human face with large circular eyes. Traces of blue in eye sockets and around nostrils... Beaver was one of crests owned by the lineage of Chief Ninstints (Tom Price), 'Those Born Up the Inlet', of the Eagle moiety... Remainder of pole, except top figure, burned when the village was burned in 1892 by the Koskimo and the crew of a sealing schooner. ."
The Wasgo is a monster of Haida legend that had the ability to transform between wolf and sea creature. Carved and painted by Bill Reid and Doug Cranmer in 1962.
MOA Object ID numbers correspond to poles in the image from left to right.
A50030 carved by Bill Reid and Doug Cranmer (1961-62) as the frontal pole for the front of the Haida house, at the University of British Columbia, for display in Totem Park. Moved to the new Museum of Anthropology grounds in 1978. Pole was removed from the Haida House in 2000-09 and placed in a greenhouse tent for conservation treatment and drying. Pole was then re-raised in the Great Hall of the Museum on Oct. 31, 2002.
