Prominent totem pole returning to family after nearly 60 years due to deterioration

The Greater Vancouver Harbour Authority says a carved cedar totem pole that has stood between the ocean and British Columbia’s Parliament buildings since 1966 will be returned to the family of the artist due to its deterioration. A statement from the authority says the Kwakiutl Bear Pole carved by Kwakwaka’wakw artist Henry Hunt was repaired and repainted in 2014, but further deterioration has prompted its move to Fort Rupert on the northern coast of Vancouver Island. It says the pole will rest at the home of Hunt’s son. His son, Stan Hunt, says it was “amazing to think about how many people from around the world have learned about First Nations’ art and culture through this totem pole.” The pole has stood at the corner of Belleville and Government streets,…

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