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July 20, 2014

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Totem Run was created to explore an often overlooked icon of Seattle’s culture. Native peoples have existed in the region for several thousand years. Totems however are relatively new to Western Washington. Despite Seattle’s rich native past, most Seattle residents observe their culture through an imported icon. In reality Totems are attributed primarily to Tlinget, and Haida peoples of the Alaskan and Canadian Pacific and were not common in the Puget Sound region. The first and most prominent pole in Pioneer Square was stolen from an Alaskan village by Seattle dignitaries. The pole was erected two decades after Seattle residents petitioned Arthur Denny and the Bureau of Indian affairs to deny reservation rights to the Duwamish. Over the next several decades many were burned from their homes.

As I have learned in researching this ride, there is a wealth of information available. There are likewise many passionate individuals who have worked hard to preserve Seattle’s unique history. As we look to our city’s past, let’s not forget the future of the Duwamish. When you view the story pole Admiral way, you will know what the artist is trying to convey: “We are still here”.

We thank you for participating in our first ride. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. Please see the sponsor page on the back of this booklet. Be sure to thank them with your patronage. We also encourage you to visit the Duwamish LongHouse. You will surely gain a new perspective of their role in shaping this beautiful city.

-Tom “Burl” Sneath-

President, Hooligans S/C

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On October 18, 1899 the 60 foot totem was unveiled in Pioneer Square. The totem had been stolen from a Tlingit village in Alaska weeks before. The infamous “committee of Fifteen” who had stolen the pole were prominent citizens visiting Alaska on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. The thieves of course contending that the village was abandoned.

Attorney William H. Thompson (d. 1918) responded to allegations that the totem was stolen by saying: "The village has long since been deserted ... Here the totem will voice the natives' deeds with surer speech than if lying prone on moss and fern on the shore of Tongass Island".

First Mate of the Steamship “City Of Seattle” tells a different tale. When the ship stopped at Fort Tongass, third mate R. D. McGillvery went ashore. He later described what happened:

"The Indians were all away fishing, except for one who stayed in his house and looked scared to death. We picked out the best looking totem pole... I took a couple of sailors ashore and we chopped it down - just like you'd chop down a tree. It was too big to roll down the beach, so we sawed it in two."

Members of the Committee of Fifteen paid McGillvrey $2.50 for his effort and the pieces were hoisted aboard the ship.

The pole itself was carved in the late 1700s, a Tlingit (Northwest Coast Canadian and Alaskan Tribe) noblewoman of the Ganaxádi Raven clan traveled along the Nass River in northern British Columbia. Her name, translated into English, was Chief-of-all-Women. She was on her way to comfort a sick relative. She never made it to her destination. She drowned.

Pioneer Square ca. 1909

Tongass, AK ca. 1899

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Pioneer Square (Cont)

Her clan hired a carver to create a totem pole celebrating her life and heritage. The resulting 50-foot tall monument drew upon ancient stories of her people and lineage. For nine decades, the

totem pole, which held Chief-of-all-Women’s cremated remains, stood next to the clan’s longhouse. At

its top sat Raven-at-the-Head-of-the-Nass, whose beak held the moon Raven rescued to give the

universe light. It is rumored that Chief-of-All-Women’s cremated remains were entombed at the base of

the pole, and simply discarded by the thieves.

The pole became a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Seattle’s booming gold culture The Pole faced Northwest towards Alaska from where it was taken. But, in Alaska, the Tlingit voiced their grievances with Alaskan Governor, John J. Brady. The village from where the pole was stolen was on Fort Tongass, therefore government property. Eight of the thieves were indicted however, none were brought to justice. The demands of the Tlingit people to return the pole or pay $20,000 also were not satisfied. For it’s role, the Seattle Post-intelligencer agreed to pay $500. However, that money never made it to the Tlingit people.

On October 22, 1938, shortly after 10pm, an unknown man set fire to the pole. Time had bridged some of the gap between Seattle and the Tlingit people. The damaged pole was shipped back to the village from where it was taken. The Tlingit people agreed to carve a replacement. This time they were paid. It is rumored that when payment for the replacement was offered, The Tlingit accepted but did not

deliver the newly carved replacement. Instead stating that the payment delivered was for the first pole. If you want the new one, you’ve got to pay for it! This of course is only a rumor.

The new pole was raised in 1940 and still stands today. It stands as a reminder of Seattle’s gold rush boom. It also serves to illustrate the complicated relations between Seattle and native peoples. A legacy that continues today.

Damaged pole back in Alaska ca. 1939

A new pole is raised 1940

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No booklet on Seattle Totems would be complete without J.E. “Daddy” Standley and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Standley was an avid collector of curios. Some say he opened his shop at Colman dock in 1899more as a way to house his growing collection of items than to operate a business. Neither his passion for collecting nor his knack for business can be disputed. Standley remains a prominent figure of his time and Ye Olde Curiosity Shop (though moved around a bit over the years) is still going strong for more than 100 years.

Standleys fascination with curios didn’t stop at totems but, a mere page limits the discussion thereof. But, in his day Standley did more to introduce the outside world to Northwest native art (both traditional and “commercial) than many of his contemporaries. Though much of the art revolved around his shop, he made meaningful contributions to museums and traveling exhibits. Standley was reported to have imported as many as 300 poles from Northwest tribes, as well as commission countless from Alaskan, Canadian, and local artists. Though many of the shop pieces were tourist pieces, the fascination for totems continued to grow.

Standley, known as a “one man chamber of commerce” was an influential and respected figure in Seattle. When he offered up a Totem to entice the city to cultivate Belvedere Park, they listened. In 1939 the first pole at Admiral Viewpoint was erected. A park has existed there since. The original carved by Bella Coola peoples in was replaced in 1966. The replica (since replaced) will be viewed later in the ride.

Standley is also credited in influencing the sale of Ravenna park to the city from private ownership. Standley provided six totems and a war canoe. These have unfortunately fallen to time.

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The totem at Washelli cemetery was carved at the Haida Gwaii by George Smith and nephew Luke Watson. It was shipped to Thomas Kelly on Bainbridge Island. In the early 1930’s Kelly gave the pole to his next door neighbor, Clinton S. Harley. Harley, general manager of Washelli erected the pole on the cemetery grounds.

Originally opened as a curio store in 1939. Haida house features Carvings by Jimmy John (Nuu-Chah-Nulth). The gift store closed in 1948. It was re-opened as a seafood restaurant which remained open for more than 60 years.

Red Mill burgers restored and converted the Totem house into a burger restaurant in 2012

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(source: http://www.burkemuseum.org/ethnology/totem)

There are not only totem poles outside the Burke Museum, but monuments as well. The term Totem Pole refers to the tall cedar poles with multiple figures carved by Native people of the northern Northwest Coast. Several different types of monumental poles include: house frontal poles placed against the house front, often serving as doorways of houses; carved interior house posts that support roof beams, and free standing memorial poles placed in front of houses to honor deceased chiefs. Mortuary poles made in the nineteenth century housed the coffins of important people in a niche at the top. Carved of red cedar logs, the figures on totem poles are inherited crests, which identify the pole owners and tell their family histories.

"Single Fin," Replica of the Howkan Whale Monument: Found directly in front of the building, this is a replica of a grave monument in Howkan, Alaska. Called "Single Fin", the original monument was commissioned around 1880 by Moses Koohl-Keet as a memorial to his uncle, head of Brown Bear House, a branch of the Quetas Ravens. It was carved by John Wallace, then a young man. In 1985, Koohl-keet's relatives witnessed the unveiling at the Burke Museum's 100th anniversary. Curator Emeritus Bill Holm, carved the replica based on photographs of the Howkan whale, and on the original fin, which is

in the Burke Museum's ethnology collection .

Replica of Haida House Frontal Pole: This is a replica of a pole that once stood in front of a house in the village of Haina (caynaa, New Gold Harbor) in the Queen Charlotte Islands. It was erected around 1870 by "He Whose Word Is Obeyed", and displays both his crests and those of his wife, "The Sound of Coppers Clanging." From the bottom to the top the

figures represent: a killer whale, it's upturned tail with a bird head; a woman, identified by the labret (ornament) in her lip, grasping the whale's dorsal fin and wearing a ringed basketry hat; two watchmen figures at her side; Tsamaos, the personification of a supernatural river snag who capsized the canoes of the unwary; a heron with its wings enclosing a human figure who grasps the heron's tail feathers; a man wearing a whale skin with flippers, dorsal fin and tail; and two watchmen at his sides wearing ringed basketry hats who warn the owners of approaching visions of danger. This replica was carved by Bill Holm, 1971, based on photos of the original pole, which no longer survives.

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Replica of Tsimshian Memorial Pole This is a replica of a Tsimshianmemorial pole that once stood in the Nisga'a village of Gitlakhdamks in northern British Columbia. It was raised in memory of a deceased chief by his

relatives as a public announcement that his successor was assuming his rank and privileges. Carved in 1880, the figures from bottom to top represent a

humanoid bear; a bird (raven or mountain hawk); a sea-bear with a dorsal fin and upturned nostrils; and a human figure that grasps the dorsal fin of the sea-bear. This replica was carved by Bill Holm, 1969, based on photos of the original pole, which no longer survives.

Replica of Tlingit Mortuary Pole:. A chest at the top of the original mortuary pole held the remains of a Tlingit chief. On this replica pole, the figure of a high-ranking man wears a prestigious ringed basketry hat and sits on a carved bentwood chest. The original pole stood in the village of Old Wrangell (Kasitlan), near present-day Wrangell, Alaska. The noted artist Kadyisdu.áxch probably carved that mortuary pole. This replica was carved by Bill Holm, 1972 based on photos of the original

pole, which no longer survives.

Replica of Dzunuk'wa Figure.: Some people equate her with Sasquatch- Bigfoot- the shy hairy giant of the forest. Others view her as a fearsome mythical creature that can be the source of great wealth. The privilege of representing her in carving and performance is a prized heritage of some Kwakwaka'wakw chiefs. Erected in Gwa'yasdam's village on Gilford Island, B.C., for three years, the original Dzunuk'wa figure faced down the beach toward the owner's in-laws, who had not paid a marriage debt. Such "ridicule poles" were raised to shame someone who owed a debt to a chief. When the in-laws honored the debt, the pole was pivoted to face the water. Symbols of wealth-shield-shaped coppers were then added to her head and hands. The figure was carved by Bill Holm in 1970 based on photos of the original pole and the original head that is now part of the Burke's ethnology

collection at that time her body was painted black. Based on analysis of historical photographs and evidence in the works of Emily Carr, Bill Holm has come to believe the body of the original sculpture was painted red. The replica was changed from black to red in 2002, when it was placed outside.

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This pole was carved (1937) by Haida Chief, John D. Wallace at the age of 76. Wallace was living in the Alaskan community of Waterfall. The pole was presented to the local cannery superintendent, Haakon Friele. At the time, most of the fish sold to the cannery came from Alaskan Native fishermen from Hyadburg, Craig, Klawock, Metlaklatla, and Ketchikan. The waterfall cannery was built in 1912 as a Salmon processing plant. It operated until 1970 and reopened in 1973 as a sport fishing lodge. The pole stood beside the cannery’s general store for decades until it mysteriously disappeared. It was later found in a Seattle warehouse in two pieces. A philanthropic group known as the “Committee of 33” refurbished the pole.

It was raised adjacent to the Montlake cut in Seattle. The city’s dedication ceremony took place im may 1983.

John Dewey Wallace ca. 1937

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The first pole raised at the Admiral Viewpoint was a gift from J.E. “Daddy” Standley in 1939. Standley wanted the city to maintain the site as a park. He used his influence and the offering to convince the city. Standley’s totem was the first of 3 to stand here against the backdrop of greater Seattle and Elliot bay. The original pole was believed to have been carved byThe Bella Coola people of British Columbia around 1901.

The pole eventually deteriorated. Boeing engineers Michael Morgan and Bob Fleischman volunteered to create a replacement. The pole was intended to be a replica of the first pole presented by Standley. They harvested and old-growth log and got to work. Several volunteers also helped paint the pole. It was placed at Admiral Viewpoint 1966. By 2006, This pole also fell to the deterioration of time. The pole was removed and taken over by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. The pole was fully restored and presented on June 6th, 2014. The now fully restored pole stands in front of the Alki Loghouse museum. Coinciding with the poles unveiling, the museum also opened a new exhibit “Reaching the sky: Totem tales of West Seattle”

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With the second pole in disrepair, the city ventured to replace it. This time a completely different pole was to emerge. A true “Story Pole” was carved by Michael Halady, a fifth generation descendent of Chief Seattle. The pole differs in appearance as it is monochromatic. The details and carving is much finer and more intricate. The mastery of Halady’s work is evident and closer inspection reveals it to be a true work of art. The aesthetics aside, what truly makes this pole special is the story it tells. While totems are more associated to tribes of the north, story poles are were associated with Puget Sound area peoples. Most were used as support posts in longhouses and were carved in great detail. Halady’s pole tells a story that is uniquely Seattle. At the bottom of the pole is the image of the Spirit Guardian. Arms raised in welcome to the white settlers. Above is the stern of the schooner “Exact”, which brought the Denny Party to Alki in 1851. Over that are the faces of a man, woman, and child, meant to represent the Duwamish People. Above the people is the face of Chief Seattle. At the top of the pole stands the Thunderbird. Arms outstretched in power, Halady was inspired by a description of Chief Sealth (Seattle) in a 1954 autobiography of a Squamish elder, Amelia Sneatlum.

Chief Seattle had thunderbird power. He had a rattle shaped like a duck. When he shook the rattle, the power of Seattle would be sung.

Above: Duwamish tribal Chairwoman Cecile B. Hanson in front of the new pole

Source: Dan DeLong/Seattle post intelligencer

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The Rotary Park Totem stood as a sentinel over West Seattle for 33 years. Over that time, many were enamored by its beautiful craftsmanship. One man however, was a bit too enamored. Charles Edward jenks just had to have it all to himself. So, Jenks (70 at the time) hired flatbed crane truck to remove the Totem. In broad daylight on November 30, 2009, and at a busy intersection, it all seemed to bold for suspicion. So much so, that when the vehicle bogged down in the mud SPD directed traffic as a heavy-duty tow truck helped extricate the crane.

It wasn’t until December 2, that the West Seattle blog, acting on a tip contacted Seattle Parks and Rec. The pole, now having been reported stolen, was valued at $15,000. SPD’s focus on the pole now shifted from directing traffic to theft investigation. Fortunately, Mr. Jenks left plenty of tracks to follow. The pole however was somewhat more elusive. The tow company dispatched to pull the unwitting crane operator from the mud, led police back to the crane. This led police back to Jenks. According to Michael G. Smith, owner and operator of the Acy-Deucy crane truck, Jenks posed as a member of the Seattle Arts Commission. Jenks claimed he was in charge of restoring the pole. Police searched Jenks’s West Seattle home but, the pole was absent. It was discovered later that the Rotary Pole, as well as another stolen from Fred Meyer in Renton, were at a second property on Lake Sawyer.

With the pole(s) recovered and investigation solved, Jenks was required to pay $21,000 restitution. This was to pay for the recovery and restoration of the pole. On August 20th 2010, the West Seattle Rotary Club and Seattle Parks held a re-dedication ceremony. The original carver, Robin young (age 70) was also present.

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Hooligans Scooter Club Thanks our sponsors:

Please show your appreciation through your patronage.

Hooligans S/C is a Vintage Scooter Club founded in 2013. Totem Run 2014 is our first and Flagship major event. It is conceived and designed to be a 2-stroke only ride. This is intended to be an annual 2-stroke event (though theme will differ) for our club. Although other smaller and collaborated events, open to all riders are scheduled throughout the year. We thank all who attended and supported this ride and the many friends and supporters of our club. There are way too many to name but, we know who you are and appreciate it. ---Thanks

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