Gitksan Totem Poles

by Theresa Tahara

Title

Gitksan Totem Poles

Artist

Theresa Tahara

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography

Description

GITKSAN TOTEM POLES
Van Dussen Gardens in Vancouver, BC These totem poles were created by Gitksan Master Carvers. The traditional territory of the Gitksan includes the Skeena River in Northern BC and their name means "the people of the river of mists".

"The Mosquito People" pole on the left was carved by Earl and Brian Muldoe in 1986. This pole tells the origin story of mosquitoes which came from the ashes of the funeral pyre of Baboudina (top figure), Chief of the blood-sucking mosquito people. Below him is the young woman (middle figure) who killed the Chief and saved her husband (bottom figure) and baby.

"Al of The Gispudwada" pole on the right was carved by Arthur Sterritt in 1976. This pole describes the origin of the Black Bear Crest of the Orca Clan. A long time ago a man was transformed into a bear and lived among the bears for a while (bottom, bear holding human face). When he returned to his people, a kind old healer helped him become human again (top, man holding the healer). The black bears remained friends with the man and would help him if he was in trouble so he and his descendants took the bear as their crest.

Uploaded

May 15th, 2015

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