Confederation Centre's totem pole explained in upcoming talk

A small totem pole that has long stood guard over the glassed-in garden in the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown has often had passersby wondering about its significance.

This week, the public gets to find out more about this special piece, which has been in place for 45 years.

It turns out it was a gift from the First Nations people of British Columbia, on the 100th anniversary of that province joining Confederation.

"It's a monument memorializing the passing of a high-ranking name from one chief to another," according to art historian Ron Hawker. "And typically they're raised as part of a mortuary celebration."

Hawker is giving a lecture on the Tsimshian totem pole, called Man and Dogfish, and other Northwest coast art on Thursday, Apr. 28.

It was carved at New Hazelton, B.C. by Alfred Joseph of the Ilagwiloit First Nation, and donated in 1971.

Hawker says this 15-foot pole is half the usual size with only two figures, a man riding the tail of a dogfish — a small shark.

"It's beautiful. It's beautifully done," he enthused. "It probably came out of the Kitanmax art school which was a really big deal in the '60s and '70s. And this is a great example of it."

That school helped teach young First Nations people traditions, such as totem carving, that had been pushed underground by old bans under the Indian Act.

"Not only how things looked but how to carve it as well, because the carving itself is ... it's pretty complicated," said Hawker. "It takes a lot of skill. They're doing it all by adze, which is something, freehand.

"It's kind of like an axe. You have to hit it with a kind of rhythm in order to take off all the extra wood," he described.

Hawker said the poles went from being banned, to becoming emblems of Canada, and coveted around the world.

His talk takes place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Confederation Centre, with free admission.