House Frontal Totem Pole

The beings represented on Kwakwaka'wakw totem poles are those beings from mythical times who became, or were encountered by, the ancestors of those who commissioned the pole, whose family had claimed the figures as crests. Crests could also be obtained as marriage gifts.

This pole was carved by Kwagu’ł carvers for the 1914 Edward S. Curtis feature-length silent film "In the Land of the War Canoes," which was originally titled "In the Land of the Head-Hunters." George Hunt, who was of Tlingit/European descent but raised in Tsaxis—and well known as the field assistant of anthropologist Franz Boas—served as Curtis’ staging director, organizing the construction of a village of false house-fronts. 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.

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Carved figures from top to bottom: Kulus/Kolus (young Thunderbird), Kwankwanxwalige’ (Thunderbird) is identifiable by the presence of ear-like projections or horns on the head, and a re-curved beak, unknown creature (forms ceremonial house entrance). The pole alludes to the story of Tongas people in south Alaska, who migrated south.

Wood pole carved in low relief, with opening at base; crescent shaped in cross section. The motifs are, from the top down: Kolus (a supernatural bird), a thunderbird, and an unknown creature with human facial features and gaping mouth as opening at base. Entire surface is painted in white, black, green, red and yellow in Northwest Coast stylized forms.