Haida House Frontal Pole

Early Park Title

Haida House Frontal Pole, ca 1880

A man named Checkgath raised this pole in t’anuu ‘llnagaay (eelgrass town) around 1880 as a memorial to his wife. When Charles F. Newcombe purchased it in 1911, the village was no longer occupied. The crests on the pole belong to Checkgath’s family. Here, it is shown in front of a pseudo-Northwest Coast house that is an amalgamation of unrelated elements from several First Nations. Mungo Martin later made the new version of this pole, which currently stands in Thunderbird Park (RBCM 20128). The original pole is now in the main lobby of the museum.
RBCM 1391.

Image: Thunderbird Park. T. W. S. Parsons photograph.
RBCM PN 6021.

	Three Watchmen, guardians who are said to call out warnings at the approach of enemy canoes. They wear hats with skils, or potlatch rings, that indicate high status demonstrated by potlatching.
	Bird, identified variously in the records as Eagle, Thunderbird and Cormorant, with an upturned face in its tail. Cormorant, an Eagle clan crest, is the likely interpretation.
	Human-like figure holding a Frog. Although Newcombe thought this represented a shaman, it is likely the Eagle clan ancestress called jilaa quns who is also known as Frog Woman, Copper Woman and Volcano Woman.
	Whale, with upturned tail and an upside-down human face in its blowhole.
	Image: Thunderbird Park. T. W. S. Parsons photograph. RBCM PN 6021.

Additional Images


Thunderbird Park. T. W. S. Parsons photograph. RBCM PN 6456.

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