Tsimalano House Board

Salish house boards and posts depict mythical creatures associated with family history, notable ancestors, events which displayed ancestors' spirit powers, or supernatural privileges of the family. They faced into the large winter houses, declaiming the long history, wealth and high status of the family. This house board would have been attached to a vertical post, and Barnett (1955) reports that this board was located next to the door in Chief Jack Stogan's grandfather's house.

This housepost was owned by Tsimalano, the great grandfather of Musqueam elder Vince Stogan. Their family is the only family that can use this design, it is not in common usage. Vince Stogan recalled that male and female figures were once placed on each side of the door of a house, but unfortunately the female housepost that accompanied this one decayed while it was in storage under the church at Musqueam. He adds that houseboards like this one indicated to visitors whose house they were entering. Stogan also recalled that this post was a second copy of an even older original that once stood at Musqueam. Documents in the file say that in 1902 anthropologist Harlan I. Smith attempted to acquire this houseboard, and another post now in the museum's collection (A50003), for the Smithsonian Museum in New York, but was prevented by the Department of Indian Affairs. Later in 1927, Colonel A. M. Brown and Smith discussed options for the preservation of the two posts and suggested that UBC would be an appropriate home. The graduating class of 1927 provided funds for the Musqueam to restore the poles, and for purchasing them for UBC. A 1929 photograph of the UBC Botanical Gardens shows this house board erected beside the 'lily pond' (UBC Archives). In 1974, a copy of this houseboard was made by Simon Charlie (Cowichan) for the tenth anniversary of the UBC Totem Park Residence Complex. It was unveiled at a ceremony that was attended by Chief Tsimalano. Simon Charlie's copy differs from this one, however, since his preference was to finish pieces with an adzed texture rather than the smooth finish seen on this one.

status; ancestral figure; supernatural power

According to Suttles (1987), this house board represents a descendent of a man who bore the name Tsimalano at the beginning of the present world. This man was a founding ancestor of a Musqueam village and recieved a ritualist's rattle, a sxwayxwey mask, and the associated songs. The man is holding a knife in one hand and a rattle in the other, and is using a chant that subdues bears. Barbeau (1950) and Barnett (1955) identify the bear as a grizzly.

High relief figures carved against a large wood plank. From top down, bear facing a human male who is holding a knife in one hand and rattle in the other. Bear has a protruding, open mouth and a crescent shaped backend. Carving has smooth finish and figures are painted in black, red and white.