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Totem Poles Across the World the Totem Pole Is Often Falsely Equated with the Art and Culture of All Indigenous North American Peoples

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Totem Poles Across the World the Totem Pole Is Often Falsely Equated with the Art and Culture of All Indigenous North American Peoples Corporate Report City Council Report from: Parks, Recreation and Culture Services, Programs and Cultural Services Report Date: July 15, 2019 Meeting Date: August 12, 2019 Report Number: PRCS-126-2019 File: 68.31.102 Subject: Centennial Gardens Totem Pole Strategic Pillar: Recommendation That Council approve that the Centennial Gardens Totem Pole be immediately taken down, stored for drying, restored, and re-installed at Centennial Gardens in 2020 (option #1 as outlined in this report) and; That Council provide early approval of the 2020 Capital Budget to an upset limit of $125,000, for this project. FORTHWITH Summary This report provides information related to the current state of the Centennial Gardens Totem Pole and recommendations for options for the Totem Pole moving forward. Background The Centennial Gardens Totem Pole In the early-to-mid 1960’s the nation was nearing its 100th anniversary of Confederation and communities across the country sought ways to commemorate that historical event. To mark that event, the City of St. Catharines commissioned Kwakwaka’wakw artist, Doug Cranmer of the ‘Namgis Nation in British Columbia to create a totem pole to be the centerpiece of Centennial Gardens. The Totem Pole is made of red cedar and is 10.7 m high with a diameter of 86 cm and consists of five (5) characters that carry their own meaning and symbolism. Atop the totem pole is a Thunderbird, followed by a Bear holding Copper, a Cedar Man, a Sisiyutł (a legendary creature found in many Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest), and a Raven (see Appendix 1 for current images of the Totem Pole). The Centennial Gardens Totem Pole was commissioned in 1966 by the City of St. Catharines for $6,800 and was shipped from British Columbia by train and erected by crane in Centennial Gardens (the park). The Totem Pole has been located in Centennial Gardens for 52 years and as with any object fabricated from natural materials, the totem pole has been subject to the effects of the weather, insects and rodents. The wood from which the totem pole is made has begun to deteriorate and decay. The Totem Pole is at the end of its lifespan in its current form and location. Artist Doug Cranmer The internationally renowned Master Carver, Doug Cranmer was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia on January 18, 1927. Not only was he the hereditary chief of the ‘Namgis Nation, but he was also a carver and artist that played a significant role in the Northwest Coast art movement. The Northwest Coast was part of an exciting, innovative and international art scene that has contributed to the history of Indigenous art in Canada. He passed away in 2006. Doug Cranmer is an internationally recognized Canadian artist whose work can be found in the Canadian Museum of History and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. He was a Master Carver who mentored many younger Indigenous artists throughout his career. His work has been displayed nationally and internationally and is part of many public and private collections. The Totem Pole is a piece of artwork in the City’s Public Art Collection and has a value of approximately $120,000. Totem Poles Across the world the totem pole is often falsely equated with the art and culture of all Indigenous North American peoples. In actuality, the carving of totem poles is an ancient cultural tradition that originated on the west coast of North America with First Nations such as the Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuxalt and Coast Salish. Each group has their own carving styles and traditions. Bruce Alfred (consultant, who studied under Doug Cranmer and is an expert in west coast totem poles) confirmed that the Centennial Gardens Totem Pole is not a sacred totem pole and does not represent a particular Indigenous story or family history. The characters on the pole were chosen by the artist as being of interest in his final design and do not represent the local Niagara Indigenous story. Report Page 2 of 9 Report Current State of the Totem Pole Cultural Services staff routinely carry out condition reports on all the public art owned by the City. For the past few years, the state of the Centennial Gardens Totem Pole has been of concern. In 2018, Richardson Tree Care and Landscaping was hired to undertake two separate analyses of the condition of the totem pole, in order to ascertain the current state of decay of the wood of the pole and the risk of failure to the pole’s structural integrity. These tests were undertaken on June 1, 2018 and again on November 6, 2018. In the June test, the condition of the pole was tested at ground level and above ground level; and in November the pole was tested at ground level only. While these tests did not address decay further up the Totem Pole, while on-site on the day of the test, staff witnessed a squirrel had nested inside the pole near the top and there have been past incidents of bees and ants nesting in the pole. These would indicate that the upper section of the pole has also been subject to varying degrees of deterioration. Two types of tests were conducted on the pole: a Resistograph reading, measuring the density of the wood around the edge of the pole based on resistance to drilling; and a Rinntech Arbotom test which uses sound waves to ascertain density across the pole. According to the final report provided to the City on December 18th, 2018: “This totem pole is decayed in the centre of the pole as indicated on the Arbotom images. The location of decay is central but the area of measuring point 8 to 1 (see Appendix 2) has decayed areas throughout the radius. The results are for the interface between the soil / concrete and the pole. Untreated wooden poles decay most extensively at, or below the soil / surface interface where fluctuating air and moisture levels give rise to the best conditions for growth of wood decay fungi. For these reasons the pole may be more decayed in terms of cross sectional area and stage of decay below ground than at the level tested.” The report indicates a loss of load capacity for the Totem Pole of 12-20%. The report goes on to state that this loss of load capacity does not mean the pole is in imminent danger of failure. As the pole is not subject to dynamic loading (such as from branches or objects sticking out from the pole), it is less likely to be impacted by wind, snow or ice. The Richardson report also indicates that “the totem pole currently does not pose a risk of failure and can be safely retained for a short period of time. The decay will continue to advance and the load carrying capacity will decline.” It is the opinion of the consultant that the Totem Pole is safe to remain in its current state and location throughout the winter of 2018 / 2019. Report Page 3 of 9 While the consultant indicated that the Totem Pole is not in imminent danger at this time, the pole continues to be subject to weather and other natural agents of deterioration. Public Consultations In early June, 2018, the City of St. Catharines held three public consultations, facilitated by Cultural Services staff, to provide information related to the current condition of the Centennial Gardens Totem Pole and to garner community input with regards to the future of the totem pole. The first consultation was held at the Niagara Regional Native Centre and two consultations were held at City Hall. An online survey was also available until June 30, 2018. The engagement sessions were led by City staff, with the assistance of consultant Bruce Alfred, a Kwakwaka’wakw artist, from Alert Bay, British Columbia, who studied under Doug Cranmer and is an expert in west coast totem poles. Members of the Niagara Regional Native Centre provided support throughout the consultations and attended all three sessions and City staff engaged the Fort Erie Friendship Centre at the beginning of the process to invite their participation. During the consultations, Bruce Alfred provided additional information to dispel some misconceptions about the removal of totem poles. A common misconception has existed that the totem pole must be laid down and let to deteriorate into the ground naturally. According to Mr. Alfred, there are no cultural reasons to prevent the City from removing and restoring the pole, or removing the pole completely. He addressed the question of what happens to poles that have reached the end if their lifecycle, in West Coast Indigenous communities? According to Mr. Alfred, West Coast Kwakwaka’wakw communities carry out regular maintenance of their totem poles so that they don’t get to the point of falling down. Their poles are regularly painted and restored to ensure they can remain standing. He indicated that there was no accepted ceremonial way to remove a totem pole. The best option would be to make sure the totem pole doesn’t reach that condition in the first place. Mr. Alfred indicated, however, that in his professional opinion, the pole could be restored. He indicated that the best way to do so would be to take it down in order to assess the damage and make the work easier. One thing that is important to note and that was brought forward at the public consultation and in consultation with the local Indigenous community, is that totem poles are not a genre of artwork native to Southern Ontario.
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