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Five years prior to the installation of a 25-foot narrative pole outside Denny Hall at the University of Washington, Sven Haakanson (Sugpiaq/Alutiiq) envisioned it.
As a Native Alaskan, Haakanson recognizes the significance of acknowledging a land’s indigenous communities. Thus, while surveying the UW’s Seattle campus, he found himself questioning: Where is the Coast Salish community? He noted that the Burke Museum possesses Coast Salish artifacts, and some smaller pieces are displayed in other structures. Nonetheless, tangible representation was conspicuously absent from the campus grounds.
Al Charles (Lower Elwha Klallam), Tyson Simmons (Muckleshoot), and Keith Stevenson (Muckleshoot) sculpted the narrative pole that now stands on the UW campus. Credit: Sven Haakanson
Seeking to rectify this absence, Haakanson, a professor of anthropology at UW, began discussions with Al Charles, a carver from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, followed by conversations with Tyson Simmons and Keith Stevenson from the Muckleshoot Tribe. They were all enthusiastic about the idea of introducing a narrative pole to the UW. However, Haakanson did not approach the university until about a year afterward.
A ceremony to honor the narrative pole will take place on Sept. 18, hosted by the carvers. The Coast Salish ritual features a speaker and invited witnesses who will witness the dedication of the pole to the site. Subsequently, the carvers will present tokens of appreciation to those who contributed to the pole’s creation. “We ought to educate ourselves about our surroundings,” Haakanson articulated. “Having the narrative pole there for everyone to learn from, celebrate, and appreciate serves as an excellent means of understanding the tribes present.”
B-roll footage of the pole installation is available for use as well.
At that time, he had just been appointed to head the Department of Anthropology. During discussions on how to keep him at UW, Haakanson requested that a narrative pole be commissioned for the UW Seattle campus.
“It was a somewhat unusual ask for retention,” Haakanson remarked. “However, this serves as a remarkable means to promote, uplift, and celebrate the Coast Salish communities on whose land we stand.”
Narrative poles, such as the one placed on UW’s campus (above), were specifically crafted to share and impart Coast Salish legends, histories, and narratives.UW Department of Anthropology
Coast Salish refers to a language family and signifies the cultural group of Indigenous peoples who converse or have conversed in these tongues. The Coast Salish peoples have resided in what is now western Washington and southwestern British Columbia for over 10,000 years. The UW is situated on land that interfaces with the shared waters of the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.
While Coast Salish communities carve narrative poles, totem poles represent a broader category of carved wooden structures originating from the Pacific Northwest. Narrative poles were specifically designed to convey and teach Coast Salish legends, histories, and tales.
“Narrative poles are intended to relay stories,” Haakanson explained. “In contrast, totem poles address clan identities and their histories. Narrative poles also encompass histories, but the Coast Salish utilize them to depict events, legends, or current circumstances.
“We observe numerous totem poles here, yet totem poles originate from farther north. I admire what totem poles symbolize and their significance, but we should also aim to support local communities in their unique expressions. This is one way for students and visitors to discover who the Coast Salish peoples are.”
Charles, Simmons, and Stevenson presented a proposal for the pole, which Haakanson then communicated to the university. The project received approval, and preparations for the log commenced a year and a half ago.
“The carvers transformed this vision into the actual narrative pole,” Haakanson noted. “Their commitment involved not just significant time and effort but also immense care and consideration. To me, it is not merely an extraordinary piece of art but a tribute to the Coast Salish peoples.”
The narrative pole’s title is skʷatač dxʷʔal x̌ʷəlč, meaning “From the Mountain to the Coast Salish Sea.” Starting from the top, the imagery on the pole features Mount Rainier, women’s weavings, the thunderbird carrying two orcas, four salmon representing four rivers, the Coast Salish peoples, and the Coast Salish Sea.
Crafting of the narrative pole that’s
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now placed on the UW campus commenced a year and a half prior. Credit: Sven Haakanson
The aluminum backing showcases the North Star at the pinnacle and water along with mountains in formline art at the center. Below are three canoe prows representing the Northwest Coast, the Salish Coast, and the West Coast.
“What I truly appreciated about the story pole is it honors and acknowledges the indigenous peoples and embodies our duty, as the community today, to preserve our environment from the mountains to the ocean,” Haakanson remarked. “This symbolism is intricately woven into the story pole.”
For further details, please reach out to Haakanson at [email protected].
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