Kasaan 2
20 September 2016 | Boat position at Thorne Bay: 55 40.968'N; 132 31.42'W
Pam Lau and Ted Berry
Picture: This totem pole was a work in progress inside the carving house in Kasaan village.
The first building we visited was the "carving cave". A gigantic totem pole, a work in progress, filled the length of the large shed. The carver, Harvey, was teaching two young boys carving techniques. He stopped work and explained the process and the meaning of the totem pole to us. First they meditated the image in their mind and then drew the plan on paper. Later they transferred the drawing onto the well cured cedar pole and used that to start the carving project. He explained about the images on the pole to us in detail. Spirits of the ancestors in animal form go at the bottom of the pole, and future generation, in human or animal form, go at the top. Other generations go in chronological order between the two. The project is incredibly tedious and precise. To carve such massive area with hand tools and to impart a meaningful message about their beliefs in such detail is unconceivable to me. Needless to say we were very impressed with the Haida community and their efforts to painstakingly preserve their culture in such a beautiful art form.
We also stopped at the restaurant/cafe across the small road from the carving house. It was unbelievably beautiful and modern with a nice ambience and friendly staff, overlooking the water. It was bazaar because the entire island is a relative wilderness, not to mention the tiny village, but there it is, a gorgeous eatery with reasonable prices.