Kwakwaka’wakw House Posts

Early Park Title

Kwakwaka’wakw (A’wa’eťala) House Posts, 19th century

Thunderbird Park. Trio Crocker photograph. RBCM PN 11685.

These posts stood inside a large, traditional house in the A’wa’eťala village of Dzawadi in Knight Inlet. Charles F. Newcombe purchased them in 1914. Originally, they supported the massive longitudinal roof beams of the house. In Thunderbird Park, they stood in front of support posts for the roof of an open-sided building at the north end of the park. There, they functioned as dramatic elements of the façade but served no structural purpose.
RBCM 1862 (left), 1860 (centre), 1861 (right).

Thunderbird Park. Trio Crocker photograph. RBCM PN 11685.	The human-like figure at the top of each post represents Dzunuk´wa, the Wild Woman of the Woods, according to a Thunderbird Park guidebook of the period. This may be a mistaken interpretation of Charles F. Newcombe’s collection records because the figures lack the characteristic pursed lips of the giantess. Although very similar, each of the figures has a different posture. They may represent ancestors of the owner of the house.
	Bear’s head at the bottom of each post. Each of the Bears has a face painted in either ear. Each has a distinctive characteristic as well: the Bear on the central post has a Copper (a copper plaque symbolizing wealth and status) in its mouth; the Bear on the post on the right carries a small Whale in its mouth.
		Mungo Martin repainting Kwakwaka’waka (A’wa’et?ala) house post, ca 1952. RBCM KWA-F-014.

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Thunderbird Park. Trio Crocker photograph. RBCM PN 11685.
Thunderbird Park. Trio Crocker photograph. RBCM PN 11685.	Thunderbird Park. Trio Crocker photograph. RBCM PN 11685.
Thunderbird Park, 1950s . BC Government photograph. BC Archives B-07292.
Thunderbird Park. RBCM PN 14430.
Thunderbird Park. RBCM PN 14425.

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