Totem Pole
Artist
Charles Heit
(North American Indian, Gitskan, 1957 - 2023)
Artist
Kenny Mowatt
(North American Indian, Gitxsan, British Columbia, Canada, born 1944)
Date1977
MediumWood (cedar) and pigment
DimensionsOverall: 208 × 32 × 24 inches (528.32 × 81.28 × 60.96 cm)
Credit LineGift of Estelle and Morton Sosland
Object numberF77-22
On View
Not on viewCollections
Gallery LabelThis totem commemorates the Nelson-Atkins exhibition Sacred Circles: Two Thousand Years of North American Indian Art (1977). It honors all North American Native peoples and their artistic achievements.
Created by Kenny Mowatt and Charles Heit, this pole is understood in four sections. On top, a raven clutches two interlocking ovals: the symbol of Kansas City. Below, three figures side by side represent the patron, the mayor of the city, and the director of the museum. It is anchored by a frog, referencing artist Mowatt's clan. Both artists are from specific clans in the Gitskan tribe. Traditionally, Norhtwest coast indigenous tribes, such as the Gitskan tribe, raise totem poles as reminders of their rights and accomplishments.
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Copyright© Estate of Charles Heit (Ya'Ya)
© Kenny Mowatt
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