I’m a huge admirer of American/Canadian northwest aboriginal art. The pinnacle of this art is the totem pole, meticulously carved by artisans from entire tree trunks. We’ve previously looked at ancient totems at the abandoned village of Skedans. Today I’d like to share some of the fresh and vibrant totem art in the village of Skidegate.
Skidegate is on Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), off the coast of British Columbia just south of the Alaska panhandle. Skidegate is home to the BC Ferries terminal on Graham Island, the gateway to Haida Gwaii from the British Columbia mainland some 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the east. Skidegate was named in the early 19th century, after its chief.
The Haida Heritage Centre is located beside Skidegate’s beach and is a cultural center and museum of the Haida people. The center includes, among exhibits and the like, a canoe house, carving shed, and a training center in traditional carving. The centre was designed to resemble the series of cedar longhouses of a traditional Haida village. Standing tall outside the center are Haida totem poles, details of some of which you can see in thee photos. The totems were erected in 2001.
(bald eagle gliding over the totem)
