gyảaGang (House Frontal Totem Pole)

Part of the frontal pole from the third house at the southwest end of K'uuna (Skedans) Village, Louise Island. Belonging to the Qagials qe’gawa-l Raven family, this pole, and the house named Na a’oga or “House Mother” that it fronted, were owned by a brother of the village chief. His wife became wealthy through the salvage of a sailing ship, and so was able to contribute to building this and another lineage house. Perhaps the figure at the pole’s base represents this wealthy woman or the ancestor after which the house was named. When the pole was purchased from its owner in 1957, it was shipped in three sections. K'uuna (Skedans) was abandoned in the 1880's and the house had apparently rotted away by the 1940's. The pole was collected during a joint salvage expedition by the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Provincial Museum.

status

Figures are crests belonging to the lineage of the owners of the house. Ears/feathers indicate supernatural power, possibly referring to a person called Stone Ribs who used the skin of the cormorant to fly.

Part of a larger wooden pole, now in three sections (parts a-c). All are crescent shaped in cross section, carved in shallow and deep relief. This section (part b) shows two carved projections at the top sides and in between them an ovoid shaped human face/bear transformation figure with erect ears and hands which rest on top of a large head. Only half of the large head is left, cut off at the nose.