Beaver Crest Pole

Carved in 1987 by Nisga’a artist Norman Tait with his son Isaac, brother Robert, and nephew Ron Telek, this pole depicts how the Tait family's Eagle clan adopted the beaver as its crest and how the eagle and raven met and shared the sky. In the story, five brothers went to hunt beaver skins for a feast. The youngest brother helped the young beavers escape and followed them to their lodge, where he saw them remove their beaver cloaks to reveal human forms and tell of the death and destruction of their chief. He watched their songs and dances, then returned home and reported what he had seen. At a feast, he performed the dances of the beaver people and raised a pole called Big Beaver. It was at this time that the Eagle Chief met and shared the skies with the Raven, which is another story.

British Columbia · Canada