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This totem pole project Has come to completion in 2025. The pole raising ceremony was powerful and healing, the clans came together and made this truly a community monument.
The Gyets Gitxsan Indian Residential School Society commissioned this totem pole from me, to tell the traumatic story of their experience and survival. The group wanted this event in their history to never be forgotten. The impact of the Indian Residential School and the denial of the trauma is far reaching, it is still felt today. In order for healing to start, the injury needs to be acknowledged. They did not want their stories erased, or softened.
At the bottom of the pole is the community today, young people holding up their culture and wealth. at home on their territories.
The next figure is the Grandmother and young child, representing the healthy family structure of the past, bringing these teachings to the future generations.
Above the grandmother is the Residential School experience. Taken by rail and steamship, the students were stripped of their choice, their families, hair and language. the items chosen to represent these personal experiences in this group are the steamship Prince George, the railway tracks, the shorn hair, the shovel, a handprint over the youngest child’s mouth, and the disappearing footprints.
The next figure is a chief holding a spring salmon representing the cultural wealth and knowledge. This chief wears both a chilkat and button blankets, signifying multiple chiefs of this group. The headdress bears the crest of the four clans of the villages of the Gyets Gitxsan.
The Three watchmen above the chief and salmon are traditionally looking over the territories, here they represent our warriors and matriarchs keeping a look out, making sure this travesty does not happen again.
The top of the totem pole is a mortuary box, holding items commemorating the lost ones that did not make it home.
Thanks for looking
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This project was created to represent the Gitxsan nation at the Coast Mountain College-Terrace Campus Residence.
It is called “The Gift” featuring a narrative composition, namely the beaver to represent the totem pole apprenticeship I had with Master Carver Earl Muldon (RIP). The half face woman with Flicker represents my first carving instructor at the K’san Carving School in Hazelton Vernon Stephens (RIP), it is a well known design technique and style of his. I added other figures and style components to reference the influences of artists such as Phil Janze (RIP), Ya’Ya Heit (RIP), Walter Harris (RIP), and other artists that were influential in my art journey.
I based the figures off the stories, legends, and history that we as First Nation Fine Artists, and I as a Gitxsan Artist study intently. We translate these stories and history to the art form in formline and carving. The mountain goat is my personal history detail, the mouse woman for the lessons and learning, the spider for the weaving gift. The Beaver is the main component as the beaver is the first carver, bearing the gift of carving.
Totem Pole Project
Arlene was very fortunate in an apprenticeship with Earl Muldon. A first project of two totem poles for the Northwest Coast Community College (now Coast Mountain College) at the Hazelton Campus.
This is a part of the start of her carving journey as a Gitxsan carver of K’san
Arlene is always planning her next projects, whether they be totems, art carvings, regalia carvings, public or private commissions. For inquiries or commissions please email Arlene
Gitxsan Carver of K’san