Model poles are an interesting genre of Indigenous art for their ability to capture pop culture and historic moments. While some model poles featured popular entertainers or the mascots of fast-food chains [1], others carried a more serious tone. For instance, Alaskan Tsimshian carver Casper Mather (1872-1976) created a model pole depicting Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin [2], while Tlingit artist Frank James (1893-1959) made poles that featured WWII bombers [3]. This larger Nuu-chah-nulth pole likely falls into this latter category.

At the base of the pole is a box with the faces of three men projecting outward. Each face appears distressed or sorrowful and has unique facial hair and features, likely indicating that each was meant to represent a specific individual. The unusual depiction of the eyes and facial hair may also suggest that the heads are based on historic, stereotypical caricatures of Chinese men, a group immigrating to Canada at the time this pole was made and who were subjected to extreme prejudice, discrimination, and an excessive head tax that made their lives in Canada extremely difficult [4]. The carved box surrounding the heads is also notable, as it is based on a “captive ball” style of folk-art carving which may represent isolation or imprisonment. Aside from the three captive heads, this pole features Human Head or Mask, Heron, transverse Whale, Human Head or Mask, Raptor, and what looks like a floppy-eared Dog.

1. Robert Amos: A Lifetime of Visionary Totem Pole Art. https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/robert-amos-a-lifetime-of-visionary-totem-pole-art-4646116. Accessed 21 September 2025.

2. Casper Mather with Totem Pole. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/60-351-02. Accessed 21 September 2025.

3. See objects II-B-1966 and II-B-1965 in the Alaska State Museum collection for examples of Frank James’ bomber plane model poles.

4. 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act. https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/blog/chinese-exclusion-act/. Accessed 21 September 2025.

Christopher W. Smith