Image of two old house posts on Hope Island, BC. The post on the right appears to be the same as a post now housed at the Museum of Anthropology, that was collected from Hope Island in 1956. Both posts feature a human figure with large eyes. On one post, the figure is holding a small face near its waist. On the other post, the figure is holding what appears to be an animal of some kind. The Museum of Anthropology's website provides the following description of the posts: "The posts of the unfinished house of Ha'm'cit were carved by a man from Smith Inlet called Si.wit who moved to Xu'mtaspi and married Tom Omhyid's mother. Ha'm'cit died before the house was finished. (Information provided to Prof. Wilson Duff by Mungo Martin). The artist's potlatch name was P'aczsmaxw. Wayne Suttles places the Xu'mtaspi village as Nahwitti, in historic times, however it was occupied jointly by the Nahwitti, the Yalhinuxw, and the Noqemqilisala (of Hanson Lagoon)."
Image of two old house posts on Hope Island, BC. The post on the right appears to be the same as a post now housed at the Museum of Anthropology, that was collected from Hope Island in 1956. Both posts feature a human figure with large eyes. On one post, the figure is holding a small face near its waist. On the other post, the figure is holding what appears to be an animal of some kind. The Museum of Anthropology's website provides the following description of the posts: "The posts of the unfinished house of Ha'm'cit were carved by a man from Smith Inlet called Si.wit who moved to Xu'mtaspi and married Tom Omhyid's mother. Ha'm'cit died before the house was finished. (Information provided to Prof. Wilson Duff by Mungo Martin). The artist's potlatch name was P'aczsmaxw. Wayne Suttles places the Xu'mtaspi village as Nahwitti, in historic times, however it was occupied jointly by the Nahwitti, the Yalhinuxw, and the Noqemqilisala (of Hanson Lagoon)."
Image of the houseposts and beam of what once was a longhouse in Quatsino, BC, on the north end of Vancouver Island. These posts appear to be the same as posts now houses at the Museum of Anthropology (museum item number A50009 a-c). The poles are described on the museum's catalogue: "Two upright posts and crossbeam that were part of a large interior house frame (also see records d-f and g-h). The uprights depict sea lions carved in high relief and painted (parts a-b). Their heads are equal size to their bodies. Both part a and b have an eagle in profile within the sea lions front flippers. Part a has a top portion of a face painted on the back of its head that is part of a sisiutl that runs down the seal lions back and into its hind flipper with a serpent's head in each. The cross-beam (part c) is painted and carved as a supernatural double-headed sea lion. All parts are painted black and white with Northwest Coast stylized forms... The Klix'ken (sea lion) House was commissioned by Tza'kyius around 1906, and was the last old style house erected in Xwatis. The beams and figures stood as part of a house frame, and acted as structural supports. Figures represented on house frames were supernatural beings which the family living in the house had the right, through their history and origins, to represent."
Image of a memorial pole at Alert Bay. Inscription at the bottom held by the figure reads "In loving memory of Tlaowa Latle of the Qiowasudinuk (Kwakwaka'wakw: Kwikwasut'inuxw) Tribe. Died Nov. 9 [rest of inscription illegible].
Image of a memorial pole at Alert Bay. Inscription at the bottom held by the figure reads "In loving memory of Tlaowa Latle of the Qiowasudinuk (Kwakwaka'wakw: Kwikwasut'inuxw) Tribe. Died Nov. 9 [rest of inscription illegible].
Image of a memorial pole at Alert Bay. Inscription at the bottom held by the figure reads "In loving memory of Tlaowa Latle of the Qiowasudinuk (Kwakwaka'wakw: Kwikwasut'inuxw) Tribe. Died Nov. 9 [rest of inscription illegible].
Image of a memorial pole at Alert Bay. Inscription at the bottom held by the figure reads "In loving memory of Tlaowa Latle of the Qiowasudinuk (Kwakwaka'wakw: Kwikwasut'inuxw) Tribe. Died Nov. 9 [rest of inscription illegible].
This pole was on display at UBC in Totem Park in the 1960’s and 1970’s and moved to the Museum in the late 1970’s. It was carved in 1914 in Tsaxis (Fort Rupert) by George Hunt Sr. for the Edward S. Curtis film "In the Land of the War Canoes" which was originally titled "In the Land of the Head Hunters". The pole was collected by Marius Barbeau and Arthur Price in 1947. The pole was repaired and re-painted by carvers Ellen Neel in 1949 and Mungo Martin in 1950-51. It stood at Totem Park, UBC Campus until it was re-located to the Museum's Great Hall in 1976.
Iconography: Kolus is a young thunderbird. Thunderbird is a supernatural bird identifiable by the presence of ear-like projections or horns on the head, and a re-curved beak. The pole alludes to the story of Tongas people in south Alaska, who migrated south.
One of a pair purchased in 1947 from collectors Marius Barbeau and Arthur Price. Collected from Alert Bay. The piece was repainted and repaired (including the replacement of the wings) by Ellen Neel (1949) and by Mungo Martin (1950-51).
Carved by Charlie James c. 1900 (Fort Rupert). Collected by Marius Barbeau and Arthur Price. The pole was re-adzed and re-painted by Kwakwaka'wakw carver Mungo Martin before shipping in 1947. Repainted and repaired by Ellen Neel (1949) and by Mungo Martin (1950-51). It stood at Totem Pole Park, UBC Campus until it was re-located to the Museum's Great Hall c. 1976.
