Ruzha Medallion Table Topper

I saw the Kakaso’Las Totem Pole when I visited Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia and it became my inspiration for this wall quilt. It was carved by Ellen Neel and her Uncle Mungo Martin for Woodward’s Department Store in 1955. Ellen was a Kwakwaka'wakw artist and woodcarver and is the first woman known to have professionally carved totem poles. She came from Alert Bay, British Columbia, and her work is in public collections throughout the world. The totem pole was later moved to Stanley Park in 1980 and was restored by Ellen’s son Robert.

The Kakaso’Las Totem Pole has a large thunderbird with outstretched wings sitting on top of a sea bear clutching an orca, followed beneath by a man holding a frog. Below is Bak’was, or “wild man of the woods” with a large yellow nose that looks like a beak. Further down the giantess Dzunukwa sitting with her hands holding her knees and her lips open. Finally, at the bottom sits the Raven.

– Annette