There are major plans to refurbish many of totem poles carved by Mungo Martin, an important figure in revitalizing Kwakwaka’wakw culture.
The BC government finally held a ceremony over a totem pole raised near a visitor centre at the Canada border. David Knox, great-grandson of Martin, mentioned the pole should have had a ceremony held over it years ago.
Haida Gwaii, Kwakiutl, ‘Namgis, and Semiahmoo First Nation members were present, including Bill Cranmer, a hereditary chief for the ‘Namgis First Nation.
Cranmer noted that they wondered why he (Knox) was asked to carve a Haida totem pole, “but the answer was the old Haida carvers had died.” Martin has relations with the Haida nation.
“There was no reason for carvers to create poles because of the Indian Act and the laws then,” Cranmer added. “We were fortunate for Mungo to teach younger carvers. We owe a big thank you for our friends at the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the Royal BC Museum to make this possible and restoring these old poles.”
Martin held the potlatch in 1953 after the uplifting of the potlatch ban in 1951. James Knox was then the next to hold a potlatch within the Big House at Alert Bay in 1966.
Bill Reid and Doug Cranmer, Bill Cranmer’s brother, were some of the many carvers that learned from Martin. “These old poles need to be redone and we need to hold ceremonies for those poles,” concluded Cranmer. “It was a good feeling to be there and to recognize Mungo’s work.”
“It’s been ten years in works for this to happen,” Knox said, as he mentioned in reference to the pole raising that happened at Peace Arch last week. The original Haida pole was replicated in 1948 at UBC by Mungo Martin, which was taken from Haida people in the late 1800s.
“We’re salmon people. Something like this finally lets us be who we are,” said Knox, who was raised in Tsakis (Fort Rupert). “I’m learning the history of who we are and where we come from. I’m the second generation after the residential schools, so it’s time to be positive and get along together.”
The pole was refurbished by Andrew Todd, who has been restoring Martin’s totem poles for quite some time. Knox works alongside Todd to refurbish the old poles.
“There’s actually quite a lot of Martin’s poles. There’she one at the Maritime Museum, a 100-foot pole,” added Knox. The pole is located in Vancouver and is called the Centennial pole. “At the pole raising, I spoke about how we’ve got to save the wild salmon and work on implementing a Mungo Martin memorial park. I want a boardwalk for Fort Rupert and a space for artists to do their artwork while people can observe. I think I planted some seeds for some important people.”
Knox noted that without Martin, the coastal First Nation history and recognition would not be where it is today. “I don’t think we’d have carvers today without Martin, who taught many how to carve, sing and about our ways of life.”
Martin’s work also focused on teaching other First Nations how to carve poles. Martin has raised totem poles across the world.
In the 1960s, Martin and Cranmer traveled to northern BC to teach how to craft Indigenous jewelry. At that point, Knox added it was then that “things escalated. If it wasn’t for Mungo, we all (First Nation artists) wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing. The bottom line is that without him we wouldn’t be who we are today.”
Knox has been dancing and singing since he was an adolescent and ended up working extensively for museums. Knox continues to carve and create Indigenous art today. He holds four hereditary chief positions. He is considered by many to be a high ranking chief in Kwakiutl First Nation.
Knox emphasized it’s not about chieftainships, but about giving back to the community. Knox plans to help refurbish Martin’s poles in the future.
