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Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.

Terms of use
The Bill Reid Centre's digital image archive is the digital version of a research collection first assembled by Dr. George MacDonald and his wife Joanne MacDonald over their long careers in Canadian museology, archaeology, and anthropology. The archive represents the MacDonalds' deep respect for the cultures of the Northwest Coast, their connections to numerous communities along the coast, as well as their relationships with museums, archives, friends and colleagues. These images are made available here for research and educational purposes. Other uses may require permission; users are responsible for contacting copyright holders to obtain such permission.

George and Joanne MacDonald Northwest Coast Image Archive

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: Detail: Raven-War-Club; Raised by Chief Mawlaahan and located in the upper village. This pole was raised in the early 1950's, and has already lost its paint and the surface has weathered to a silver colour. This is a detail of the Large-Eagle, and the Sitting-Frog.

: The Real-Kingfisher or Sleeping-Place-of-the-Raven; This pole was raised by Chief Watakhayetsxw as a memorial pole. Originally, a person carved in the likeness of the deceased was attached to the front of this pole. After years of facing the elements, the memorial has either fallen off or has been removed from the pole.

: Nose-like-Cohoe Pole; Detail of the Small-Children or Lying-Outwards-in-Water.

: Nose-like-Cohoe Pole; Detail of the Man-of-the-Wilds or Bush-Man with a small frog in his hands.

: Cemetery; Detail of the marble eagle grave monument.

: Nose-like-Cohoe Pole; Detail of the Small-Children or Lying-Outwards-in-Water, and then Half-Way-Out or Man-of-the Wilds at the base of the pole.

: Nose-like-Cohoe Pole; Detail of the Small-Children or Lying-Outwards-in-Water.

: Drifted-Aside Pole; At the top of the pole is the Pearled-Raven or All-Abalone-Pearl-Raven, who is standing on the head of Gisgyawtu, who is holding a pearl bow.

: Mountain-Eagle Pole; Detail of the base of the pole showing the Large-Nosed-Person.

: Gitanyow Poles; In the foreground is the Cane or Ribs-of-the-Frogs pole. In the background is the Starfish-Person pole and the Frog-Hanging pole.

: Gitanyow Poles; In the foreground is the second pole of ‘Willitsxw, and in the background is the Hole-in-the-Sky or Hole-through-the-Sky pole raised by Chief Haits’imsxw.

: Grizzly-Mother Monument; Wooden monument of a mother grizzly bear with two grizzly cubs on her head.

: The Cane Pole; In the foreground is the Person-of-the-Starfish. In the background is the Real-Kingfisher pole (left) and the Three-in-a-Row pole (right).

: Hole-in-the-Sky Pole; Detail of the base of the pole showing the Hole-Through with twelve human figures around the circular opening.

: The Cormorant Pole; Detail of the base of the pole showing the Cormorant, Bear-Cub with it’s head facing down, and the ancestress called Disappeared.

: Three-in-a-Row Pole; Detail of Half-Way-Out, which is depicted as the upper half of a human.

: House Frame and Tombstones; The support posts and ridge beams of an old house and a number of graves.

: Man Who Fell from Heaven; ""Man who fell from heaven"" near Old Metlakatla Found on an outcrop in the Metlakatla pass. It is said that when initiates appeared from a period of isolation after initiation, they were found lying in the impresssion.

: Tsimshian Post; One of two totem pole from Metlakatla that were brought to the Sitka Museum in 1888 when a group of young men from Father Duncan's Christian community came to the Sitka Industrial Training School. They were about to burn the poles when Sheldon Jackson arrived to bring the young men to Sitka and asked them to spare the poles and bring them to the museum. Note from unidentified source: In Sheldon Jackson Museum

: Detail of Metlakatla Post; Detail of one of two totem poles from Metlakatla that were brought to the Sitka Museum in 1888 when a group of young men from Father Duncan's Christian community came to the Sitka Industrial Training School. They were about to burn the poles when Sheldon Jackson arrived to bring the young men to Sitka and asked them to spare the poles and bring them to the museum. Note from unidentified source: In Sheldon Jackson Museum

: Metlakatla Post; One of two totem poles from Metlakatla that was brought to the Sitka Museum in 1888 when a group of young men from Father Duncan's Christian community came to the Sitka Industrial Training School. They were about to burn the poles when Sheldon Jackson arrived to bring the young men to Sitka and asked them to spare the poles and bring them to the museum. Note from unidentified source: In Sheldon Jackson Museum

: The Cormorant Pole; Profile of the ancestress called Disappeared.

: Mountain-Eagle or Thunder-Bird; The Large-Nosed-Person of the Mountain-Eagle of Thunder-Bird pole of Gwaas Hlaam.

: Hole-in-the-Sky; Raised by Chief Haits’imsxw, this pole is also known as Hole-in-the-Ice, Place-of-Opening or Hole-through-the-Sky.

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George and Joanne MacDonald Northwest Coast Image Archive

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