Totem Pole Preservation on the Northwest Coast

Ref.: 120
Área temática: 04 Sin asignar
Fecha de recepción: 13/11/2008

AUTORES (* Autor principal)

Todd, Andrew * - (Canadá)

EVALUACIÓN FINAL DEL COMITÉ CIENTÍFICO: Pendiente

ABSTRACT

The totem poles of Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada have existed in their location for almost a century and represent an image of Canada's Northwest Coast that is visited by over seven million tourists every year. Although changes have taken place due to worn and deteriorated conditions and upkeep has been carried out for appearances sake, the installation keeps up a landmark tradition in its scenic location. The presence of these totem poles as monumental works of public art is a compelling vision for several reasons and certainly the romantic notion of an historic Indian world is conveyed to the many visitors at the site. Artistically, there is a unique beauty and mystery to behold upon viewing the intricately carved and painted wooden forms. Yet there is a common thread with historic cultures connected to the Pacific Rim. Mythical creatures and birds are linked with the society of humans and leave the viewer wondering about the historic past. Cameras record visiting families from all over the world set against the backdrop of these magnificent sculptural works of art. Their presence in Stanley Park is a source of great pride for the City of Vancouver. Behind these totemic carvings there is a complex and still debated history that involves the serious issues of cultural recording, the language of memory, rights of ownership and pride of place in the creators' cultural home.
By comparison, the remote site of SGaang Gwaay on Anthony Island, a World Heritage Site inscribed in 1981, is located on a small island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii), has very few visitors, averaging under 2000 annually (as of 2008) and is in fact carefully monitored, protected and regulated by the Haida Watchman Program. The most obvious difference is the fact that SGaang Gwaay is the original site of a remote village that was abandoned in the 1880's and yet remains a hereditary landmark and memorial burial site for the people of Haida Gwaii.
Stanley Park in Vancouver represents almost the opposite situation in moral and ethical conditions for a totem pole site. The site, although at one time inhabited by First Nations people of the Coast Salish nation, never had a totem pole installation. The fact that the inhabitants of the site were removed and then replaced with imported totem poles from Northern villages is not obvious upon visiting the location now. Yet, such events did take place in the early part of the 20th century, eventually creating what we know today as a very famous Historic Urban Landscape.
The purpose of this paper is to compare in preservation terms the authentic nature of a remote original site with the contrived urban situation which involves, in some cases still original carved totem poles imported from northern villages to create the appearance of an authentic site. Two different philosophies of preservation are employed for these sites and through discussion of the protective measures and means of implementing them, this paper will explore different ways of interpreting cultural identity. The use of modern conservation technology for preservation of wooden artifacts will be described and compared to minimum intervention techniques.

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BIBLIOGRAFÍA