Photograph of three men carving totem poles that would become part of the bighouse in Alert Bay, BC.

Image of two old house posts on Hope Island, BC. The post on the right appears to be the same as a post now housed at the Museum of Anthropology, that was collected from Hope Island in 1956. Both posts feature a human figure with large eyes. On one post, the figure is holding a small face near its waist. On the other post, the figure is holding what appears to be an animal of some kind. The Museum of Anthropology's website provides the following description of the posts: "The posts of the unfinished house of Ha'm'cit were carved by a man from Smith Inlet called Si.wit who moved to Xu'mtaspi and married Tom Omhyid's mother. Ha'm'cit died before the house was finished. (Information provided to Prof. Wilson Duff by Mungo Martin). The artist's potlatch name was P'aczsmaxw. Wayne Suttles places the Xu'mtaspi village as Nahwitti, in historic times, however it was occupied jointly by the Nahwitti, the Yalhinuxw, and the Noqemqilisala (of Hanson Lagoon)."

Image of the houseposts and beam of what once was a longhouse in Quatsino, BC, on the north end of Vancouver Island. These posts appear to be the same as posts now houses at the Museum of Anthropology (museum item number A50009 a-c). The poles are described on the museum's catalogue: "Two upright posts and crossbeam that were part of a large interior house frame (also see records d-f and g-h). The uprights depict sea lions carved in high relief and painted (parts a-b). Their heads are equal size to their bodies. Both part a and b have an eagle in profile within the sea lions front flippers. Part a has a top portion of a face painted on the back of its head that is part of a sisiutl that runs down the seal lions back and into its hind flipper with a serpent's head in each. The cross-beam (part c) is painted and carved as a supernatural double-headed sea lion. All parts are painted black and white with Northwest Coast stylized forms... The Klix'ken (sea lion) House was commissioned by Tza'kyius around 1906, and was the last old style house erected in Xwatis. The beams and figures stood as part of a house frame, and acted as structural supports. Figures represented on house frames were supernatural beings which the family living in the house had the right, through their history and origins, to represent."

Image depicts a frontal view of a totem pole carved by Doug Cranmer. The base features figures that resemble humans. A mosquito with a long proboscis and six legs perches on the human's head. This pole stood in Deep Cove, BC before being moved to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta. Views of this pole can be seen in items a034459 - a034467.

Image depicts a side view of the top of a totem pole carved by Doug Cranmer. This view shows details of the mosquito's head, eye, and mouth. This pole stood in Deep Cove, BC before being moved to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta. Views of this pole can be seen in items a034459 - a034467.

Image depicts a frontal view of a totem pole carved by Doug Cranmer. The mosquito perched on three human figures stands in front of a carving shed. This pole stood in Deep Cove, BC before being moved to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta. Views of this pole can be seen in items a034459 - a034467.