快播视频 professor champions Indigenous cultural preservation by Deirdre Kelly.

"In a powerful intersection of art, history and Indigenous rights,聽Ann Marie Murnaghan, a professor in the Children, Childhood and Youth Program at 快播视频, is leading a groundbreaking research project focused on the K鈥櫭玤it totem pole.

This monumental piece of Indigenous art stands approximately 16 metres tall (about 52 feet) and is crafted from western red cedar. It represents the rich cultural heritage of the Witsuwit鈥檈n Nation in northern British Columbia and features intricate carvings that depict the story of K鈥櫭玤it, a supernatural figure of profound cultural and spiritual significance to the Witsuwit鈥檈n people."

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How a Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Totem Pole Wound Up in Paris: Inside a generational journey of reconnection and education by Amanda Follett Hosgood.

"The totem pole stands in the entryway of France鈥檚 Mus茅e du Quai Branly, tall and elegant but somewhat out of place 鈥� the contours of its weathered exterior in stark contrast with its clinical surroundings. 

Known as the K鈥櫭玤it pole, it stands 15 metres tall, rooted in the museum鈥檚 lower level and extending into the main-floor foyer. Strangers entering the museum breeze past, often without a glance. Its grace is paired with a loneliness. For nearly a century, the pole has been separated from its people. 

But the pole鈥檚 family recently came to visit."

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Wet'suwet'en delegation travels to Paris to reconnect with cultural treasure: The K鈥櫭玤it totem pole, which once stood in a Wet'suwet'en village, is now housed at the Quai Branly Museum by CBC News with files from CBC's Shaurya Kshatri and The Early Edition.

"A First Nation in B.C. recently reconnected with a powerful piece of their cultural history 鈥� nearly a century after it left their land. 

A delegation from the Wet'suwet'en Nation travelled to Paris last month to see the K'毛git totem pole, now housed at the Quai Branly Museum. 

Standing about 16 metres tall, the pole depicts the story of K'毛git, a supernatural figure central to the House of Many Eyes clan of the Wet'suwet'en, says hereditary chief Ron Mitchell, who was part of the delegation."

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Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n reconnect with totem pole in France, by Logan Flint.

"A Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n delegation recently traveled to France to reconnect with the K鈥櫭玤it totem pole sold for $100 in 1938.

This trip was a collaboration between the Likhsilyu Clan, Kyah Wiget Education Society, Florida State University, 快播视频, the Bulkley Valley Museum, and School District 54.

鈥淭his trip was funded by the Wetzin鈥檏wa Community Forests Corporation and the British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research,鈥� said 快播视频 Assistant Professor Ann Marie Murnaghan."

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Joanne Connauton spoke with Stephen Quinn on the Early Edition, Vancouver. The title of the interview was Wet'suwet'en nation reunited with a historic totem pole transported to France

You can find the segment linked on this page

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"A delegation of Witsuwit鈥檈n hereditary chiefs, elders, artists and youth from C鈥檌negh Lhay Yikh (House of Many Eyes) of the Likhsilyu Clan (Small Frog) travelled to Paris, France in the third week of October, 2024 in search of their history and its connection to the Quai Branly 鈥� Jacques Chirac Museum.

In 1938, Kurt Seligmann, a surrealist artist interested in Northwest Coast Indigenous art, came to British Columbia to purchase a totem pole. After corresponding with anthropologist Marius Barbeau, who had studied the region鈥檚 totem poles, he decided on the K鈥櫭玤it pole. It was considered one of the oldest and most skilfully carved, left standing in the Witsuwit鈥檈n village of Ts毛 Cakh (Hagwilget). The pole, which retells the story of K鈥櫭玤it a supernatural creature, was raised by former C鈥檌negh Lhay Yikh house chief C鈥檌dimsggin鈥櫭痵 in the early to mid-1800s.

With the Department of Indian Affairs and the local Indian Agent鈥檚 support, Likhsilyu House Chief Hagwilnekhlh Arthur Michell and relatives Gwinu Little Dennis, Simah Sam Jimmy Michell, Guts鈥檌lik Joe Nass and Ggaclh Phillip Austin were pressured to sell the pole for a mere $100. After being repaired due to damage done during its removal, the K鈥櫭玤it pole was sent by train to Vancouver and then Paris, France by boat. In early 1939, after extensive restoration, it was displayed in front of the Mus茅e de l鈥檋omme (Museum of Man) in Paris until 2001, when it was transferred to the Quai Branly Museum, where it underwent a second restoration process.

Hagwilnekhlh Ron Mitchell, C鈥檌negh Lhay Yikh鈥檚 current House Chief, has mixed emotions about visiting the museum: 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite emotional when I think about our people. I will be happy to see the totem pole and a part of our house and chief鈥檚 history, but sad at the same time. I am curious about the carver. I鈥檓 sure my grand-mother 鈥橧lhdesinon Josephine Michell (Arthur Michell鈥檚 daughter) knew who the carver was. It is an original Witsuwit鈥檈n pole in terms of its style, not so Northwest Coast鈥nd I really like that. I was disheartened when I heard that they took it apart to move it. They should never have done that without understanding what it means to our people. Back then, they were strict about 鈥檃nuc niwh鈥檌t鈥櫭玭 (our laws) and when a pole fell they didn鈥檛 move it.鈥�

For another delegation member, SD54 District Principal of Indigenous Education 鈥橧lhdesinon Birdy Markert, the totem pole鈥檚 history is personal and profound: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an emotional uncovering of past stories regarding our traditions that are difficult to pull apart, but also my great-grandfather Arthur Michell鈥檚 experience of the pole鈥檚 removal. Poles were never removed; they fell and returned to nature. Why does he seem to have been alone in dealing with this? Why were his wife and children not involved? It鈥檚 such a clash of cultures. He had already been jailed several times for fighting for his land; he must have felt helpless. I want young people to understand what our ancestors went through as they dealt with colonisation and how hard they fought to keep our culture and traditions alive. This trip is a powerful opportunity for exchange and reclamation.鈥�

Master Carver Dz茂ggot Ron Austin has dreamt of seeing the K鈥櫭玤it pole for years: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing opportunity to see the pole that may have belonged to my grand-mother鈥檚 older brother, C鈥檌dimsggin鈥櫭痵. It means a lot as an artist to see what my ancestors created before me in person. K鈥櫭玤it had a long, hooked nose like sgg茂git (eagle), which is where the name came from. I think it will be inspirational. It might inspire me in a different direction in my style.鈥� Ts鈥檃k毛 ze鈥� West鈥檈s Sandra Martin Harris explains, 鈥淥ur stories shared on ts鈥檃n (totem poles) are such an integral part of our crests, names, identity and connection to the yin tah in our Clans, House Groups and villages. We did not get to witness its life force, while it stood firmly on the land for all to witness. We didn鈥檛 get to artistically share the story of the supernatural being, K鈥櫭玤it, the way our ancestors did through the beautiful carvings on the K鈥櫭玤it pole. I am grateful to be able to visit our relative and to be together with Din茂 ze鈥� and Ts鈥檃k毛 ze鈥� and youth on this painful rematriation journey.鈥�

The delegation鈥檚 goal is to restore and revitalise the Witsuwit鈥檈n鈥檚 cultural connection to the K鈥櫭玤it pole and inspire ongoing cultural revitalisation efforts and healing for clans and community.

The visit to the Quai Branly Museum to see the K鈥櫭玤it totem pole is the result of collaboration between the Likhsilyu Clan, Kyah Wiget Education Society, Florida State University, 快播视频, the Bulkley Valley Museum and School District 54 (Bulkley Valley). Funding and
financial support has been provided by the Wetzin'kwa Community Forest Corporation, the British Columbia Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research, School District 54 (Bulkley Valley) and the Bulkley Valley Community Foundation.

For more information contact: Birdy Markert at birdy@sd54.bc.ca

Photo credit: J3882 Marius Barbeau, Museum of History

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