Search Content

Interior house posts. Bears with waving arms at the base and huxwhukw birds on top.

Bear posts, Killer Whale long dorsal fin house. Kagwantan clan. These posts were collected by Louis Shotridge and are now at the University Musuem, University of Pennsylvania.

Dog salmon post from salmon house. photographed inside Whale house.

Dog salmon posts from salmon house. photographed inside whale house.

The Whale house posts of the Ganaxtedi clan were carved in high relief and also painted with red and blue-green pigment. Each illustrates an adventure of Raven or of some ancestor of the clan. Front to Back: Foreground: The sea creature or sea monster post (Gunakadeit Gass) Second from the right: The Black Skin Post (Dukt'ootl Gass) represents the famous Tlingit hero, Dukt'ootl. Next is the Wood Worm post In the distance is the Raven post

Detail: Hawk held in paws of Gunakadeit's child. The hawk is shown as a crest symbol of the clan while the carving of Gunakadeit Yadi represents the legend of the Daughters of the Creek. This legend states that Gunakadeit's daughters became the Old Women who lived at the head of every stream and are responsible for the yearly return of the salmon. Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan.

Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan, Klukwan. Base of the Woodworm post from the Whale House, showing a frog and a crane.

The sea creature or sea monster post (Gunakadeit Gass) This wealth-bringing water monster is represented by the central (anthropomorphic) figure, biting the tail of the Whale, the head of which is at the bottom of the post. On top is "Gonakatate's child", holding a Hawk, The post represents an episode from the adventures of Raven and the sea creature Gunakadeit Yadi. The figure of a woman carved on the whale's back represents Stax-adi, included to represent the Yakutat Clan. Inside the round…

Raven is represented on this post by the main (anthropomorphic) figure holding a head, the jade adz, Tsu-hootar with which Raven tricked the King Salmon into coming ashore. Raven stands on the fish, and the small raven issuing from his mouth represents his lies. [This is a pun, since the root for "to lie, deceive" and "raven" are the same: ye't. Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan.

Detail: The figure of a woman carved on the whale's back represents Stax-adi, included to represent the Yakutat Clan. The figure is located in the centre of the sea creature or sea monster post (Gunakadeit Gass) Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan.

The Black Skin Post (Dukt'ootl Gass) represents the famous Tlingit hero, Dukt'ootl. Duk-toohl was said to have black skin because he slept so close to the fire. Though he was considered to be lazy and weak, he secretly trained to be strong at night. The human figure at the top of the post represents Dukt'ootl'. A sea lion forms the central part of the post. His tongue hanging out represents its death as the body is split in half. The face at the base of the pole represents a rock island on…

Killer Whale long dorsal fin house. Kagwantan clan.

Bottom of the Raven post from the Whale house. Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan.

Detail: The sea creature or sea monster post (Gunakadeit Gass) Nine feet tall, this post represents an episode from the adventures of Raven and the sea creature Gunakadeit Yadi. Gunakadeit is shown on the post as the main figure holding a whale by its flippers with its tail in his mouth. The figure of a woman carved on the whale's back represents Stax-adi, included to represent the Yakutat. Inside the round blowhole on the whale's head we see the face of Raven. Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan…

Woodworm post, Thluke-ass-a-Gars, shows the Ganaxtedi clan ancestress holding the Woodworm in front of her body, while two worms crawl on her head. The lower figures are a Crane holding a Frog in its bill. Whale house, Ganaxtedi clan.