Gitxsan Pole 1960 - Victoria, British Columbia - Outside Wooden Display Carvings on Waymarking.com

With permission of local chiefs, the original of this pole and several others were removed for preservation from Gitanyow in 1958. This is a version of the pole named Skim-sim and Will-a-daugh. The bottom figure of the pole was sketched in 1928 by Emily Carr and was painted in a studio oil that is called Totem Mother, which hangs in the Vancouver Art Gallery.

At the top is a Giant Woodpecker (Wee-get-welku) that originated in a story of a woodpecker that was kept and fed, ultimately becoming a huge monster that it ate everything wood and had to be killed. Below that is five small human figures, the house carvings. Below these five is a mountain eagle that kidnapped and mated with a young woman who devoured their offspring. Below the eagle are eleven figure who fish through holes in the ice. At the base Will-a-daugh holding her child.

For more information on this totem see the Royal British Columbia Museum website. Click on the map of the present configuration of the totems and locate this totem for a detailed description: (visit link)

Type of wood carving: Totem pole Artist's Name: Mungo Martin, Henry Hunt, Tony Hunt Approximate size/height: 4 metres Type of wood: Cedar Other type: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
All logs must be the result of an actual visit to the wooden carving.
"Visited" only remarks will not be accepted.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/07/2022 Benicha visited it 10/22/2017 Lynx Humble visited it 08/19/2016 Ajosa visited it 03/28/2014 Papa Ski visited it 06/18/2013 The A-Team visited it 02/12/2013 petendot visited it

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