John, Jimmy (1876 - 1988)

Jimmy John was a direct descendant of Chief Maquinna who met Captain Cook in 1803. His parents relayed legends to him which were inspirations for his poles. His mother was from Yuquot (Friendly Cove) and his father was born in Nutchatlaht. He was one of the 52 survivors of the smallpox epidemic in Friendly Cove around 1900. John began carving silver in his early teens, which he learned from his brothers. At one time he hunted seals in Alaska and later worked as a social assistant, a welfare officer and a policeman. "A crucifix was carved for the late Pope John XIII. A totem carving was presented to Queen Elizabeth II on one of her earlier visits to BC" (Kahtou, 1988).