Totem Bight Dancers

Above is a video taken this summer when we attended an event at the Totem Bight State Park of the Xaadas Takanlang Haida Descendant Dancers. The Northwest Coast Dancers are performing one Friday per month through September at Totem Bight Clan House. The Haida dancers perform traditional and contemporary songs in traditional regalia with the guidance of Gloria Burns. We learned about Haida culture, lineage, and storytelling, blessing, honor, and lessons conveyed through dance. Here are a few pictures of the totems at the park.

Thunderbird and Whale: A similar carving of this Haida mortuary pole was originally from the old village of Klinkwan on Prince of Whales Island. The pole was first copied for Totem Bight by John Wallace during the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1990 Nathan Jackson was commissioned to carve a second replica.

The intent of the carving is to illustrate the mythological conception of thunder. Thunder is created by the beating of the bird’s wings, and lightening by the blink of its eyes. This huge bird lives high on the mountaintop. The whale at the base of the pole symbolizes the mountaintop where the bird rests before devouring his prey. It is said that whale bones may be found on many mountain tops that have been carried there from ages past.

Halibut Pole: This Tlingit pole honors the Halibut House people of the Nexadi clan. The original pole stood in the park from the CCC period until 1970, when it was replaced by carver Nathan Jackson.

The Clan House: A community house or clanhouse of this size could have housed 30 to 50 people. Although it is doubtful a clanhouse existed on this site (originally a fish camp), this design is representative of the type in many Indian villages built in the early 19th century.

Inside is one large room with a central fireplace surrounded by a planked platform. The walls and floors were hand-adzed to smooth the surface and remove splinters. The dwelling served as living quarters for several families of a particular lineage. Each was allotted its own space but shared a common fire. Housewares, treasured items, and blankets were stored under the removable floor boards, and food items were hung from the beams and rafters. The members belonging to the house would be headed by a house chief of the same lineage.

The carved house posts supporting the beams inside symbolize the exploits of Duk-toothl. He is a man of Raven phratry wearing a weasel skin hat who showed his strength by tearing a sea lion in two. The painting on the house front was designed by Charles Brown. It is a stylized Raven with each eye elaborated into a face. Designs on the house fronts were rare, and occurred only in cases of great wealth.

On the front corner posts sits a man in a spruce root hat with the crest design on his face and cane in hand. He is ready for a dance or potlatch.