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Title: Dorsal Fin Memorial
Description: This memorial column, rectangular in cross section, symbolizing a killer whale dorsal fin, is surmounted by a figure of a chief with a tall hat. Originally a separate carving of a raven holding a copper sat on top of the chief’s hat.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: House-Hole House
Description: House-Hole House of village chief Gitkun is in the centre with its associated memorial and mortuary poles. On the left you can see the frontal pole for House Dressed Up.
Date: 1901, 1901

Title: House That Makes a Noise Frontal Pole
Description: The House That Makes a Noise frontal pole features three watchmen and a horned owl at the top. Next is a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief or sea anemone holding a hair seal, a story figure of Nansimget’s wife holding onto the tail of killer whale, and a killer whale with a human body devouring a seal at the base.

This pole was removed from Tanu
Show moreThe House That Makes a Noise frontal pole features three watchmen and a horned owl at the top. Next is a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief or sea anemone holding a hair seal, a story figure of Nansimget’s wife holding onto the tail of killer whale, and a killer whale with a human body devouring a seal at the base.

This pole was removed from Tanu in 1954 and is now in the Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria. A copy of this pole made by Henry Hunt stands in Thunderbird Park, Victoria.
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Date: 1947, 1947

Title: House Pit
Description: Chief Gitkun's House pit from the House-hole House with fallen roof beams.
Date: 1967, 1967

Title: Property House Frontal Pole
Description: The frontal pole of Property House as it stood after the house frame had fallen. The crests on the frontal pole are three watchmen, an eagle, a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief/sea anemone, and a killer whale whose head, arms, legs, and pectoral fins are at the base. The body of the killer whale extends above and it has a woman in its mouth that
Show moreThe frontal pole of Property House as it stood after the house frame had fallen. The crests on the frontal pole are three watchmen, an eagle, a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief/sea anemone, and a killer whale whose head, arms, legs, and pectoral fins are at the base. The body of the killer whale extends above and it has a woman in its mouth that is clutching its tail. This pole was collected by Newcombe for the Smithsonian Institution.

The House That Makes a Noise is on the right in the background.
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Date: 1901, 1901

Title: House That Makes a Noise Frontal Pole
Description: The House That Makes a Noise frontal pole features three watchmen and a horned owl at the top. Next is a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief or sea anemone holding a hair seal, a story figure of Nansimget’s wife holding onto the tail of killer whale, and a killer whale with a human body devouring a seal at the base.

This pole was removed from Tanu
Show moreThe House That Makes a Noise frontal pole features three watchmen and a horned owl at the top. Next is a story figure of Tsimshian sea-chief or sea anemone holding a hair seal, a story figure of Nansimget’s wife holding onto the tail of killer whale, and a killer whale with a human body devouring a seal at the base.

This pole was removed from Tanu in 1954 and is now in the Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria. A copy of this pole made by Henry Hunt stands in Thunderbird Park, Victoria.
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Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Detail: House That Makes a Noise Frontal Pole
Description: Detail of the base of the House That Makes a Noise frontal pole. The lowest crest features a killer whale with a human body devouring a seal.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Frontal Poles
Description: Something Terrible Happened House with frontal pole on the left, Whale and Beaver Mortuary and Strong House with frontal pole on right.
Date: 1901, 1901

Title: Detail: Plenty of Tliman Hides in This House Frontal Pole
Description: This photograph details the lower section of this frontal pole showing the beak of the cormorant and the grizzly bear at the base. The pole is still attached to the house frame long after it has been abandoned.
Date: ,

Title: Profile: Plenty of Tliman Hides in This House Frontal Pole
Description: Side profile of the grizzly bear from the base of the frontal pole. In between the bear’s paws is a human head wearing potlatch cylinders.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: House Pit
Description: Chief Gitkun's House pit from the House-hole House with fallen roof beams.
Date: 1967, 1967

Title: Thunderbird and Whale Memorial
Description: This memorial, erected after 1878, was for the mother of the last Skitgades. On the top of the plain pole were a thunderbird and a whale. This is the only monument seen on approaching Tanu village in the 1960’s.
Date: 1968, 1968

Title: Detail: Beaver Memorial
Description: At the base of this memorial is a beaver with a tall column of potlatch cylinders rising above it. A copper was originally nailed to the first potlatch cylinder.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Thunderbird Mortuary
Description: This mortuary originally featured a front plaque that had a supernatural snag on it, and on the post is a thunderbird that is shown here without its beak. This mortuary is being reclaimed by the forest growth.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Profile: Dorsal Fin Memorial
Description: This memorial column, rectangular in cross section, symbolizing a killer whale dorsal fin, is surmounted by a figure of a chief with a tall hat. Originally a separate carving of a raven holding a copper sat on top of the chief’s hat.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Plenty of Tliman Hides in this House Frontal Pole
Description: Plenty of Tliman Hides in This House frontal pole. The crests visible here are an eagle, a cormorant and a grizzly bear at the base. Not visible in this photograph are the three watchmen at the top of the pole.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Detail: Plenty of Tliman Hides in this House Frontal Pole
Description: Detail of the grizzly bear from the base of the frontal pole. In between the bear’s paws is a human head wearing a hat with potlatch cylinders.
Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Frontal Pole
Description: This frontal pole from the south end of the village featured on it three watchmen at the top, followed by an eagle with a small face on its tail, an owl, a killer whale that is holding its own tail in its mouth and at the base, a grizzly bear holding a frog.

The pole was taken to Prince Rupert in 1939 and was transferred to the Royal British
Show moreThis frontal pole from the south end of the village featured on it three watchmen at the top, followed by an eagle with a small face on its tail, an owl, a killer whale that is holding its own tail in its mouth and at the base, a grizzly bear holding a frog.

The pole was taken to Prince Rupert in 1939 and was transferred to the Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, in 1965.
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Date: 1947, 1947

Title: Sea Lion House
Description: Shown here is the Sea Lion House with its frontal pole, two memorial poles and the thunderbird mortuary. In the background on the left is Chief Gitkun’s House-Hole House.
Date: 1901, 1901

Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World