by Judy Barlow, photo by  Ed Johnson

Where do old totem poles go to die?

That’s a trick question.

The answer, of course, is “Nowhere.”

Unless it’s in Central Saanich; then it’s anyone’s guess.

The five-foot Chief Thunderbird memorial totem was erected outside the municipal hall in August 1969, honouring Tsartlip Hereditary Chief Thunderbird, Jean Baptiste Paul, a champion professional wrestler who travelled the world and hobnobbed with royalty. The Chief has served as an inspiration to generations, especially among First Nations youth. 

Early settlers mistakenly viewed totems as pagan religious icons. Not so. They are venerated as monuments, representing and commemorating ancestry, histories, status, people, or events. 

A totem can last 100 years – even longer today with protection and treatment, according to master carver Carey Newman. 

But what if a decaying totem puts passersby at risk? 

According to a 2014 staff report, a 2003 assessment determined that the pole’s condition had deteriorated beyond the point of rehabilitation. Council was advised to move the original indoors and commission a replacement at an estimated cost between $4700 and $8800. Over the next five years the issue arose repeatedly, with inquiries into funding for preservation, relocation, and/or replacement. 

By 2008 the cost had risen. A supplemental request for $10,000 in funding for a replacement included in the 2008-2012 Financial Plan was defeated. The issue appeared to be in limbo. 

Until 2014, after a complaint in May, staff prepared a report with recommendations. On July 7, after considering an estimated replacement cost in excess of $15,000, Central Saanich Council elected to remove the totem. 

That should be the end of the matter, right?

Not really.

According to the official video log, Councillors Garrison and Jensen moved and seconded that Council adopt staff recommendations 1 (removal) and 2 (photo/plaque in the foyer). 

Councillor King asked about the relocation of the totem. 

Staff was stumped. 

Apparently, having deciding upon removal, little if any thought went into, “And then what?”

With no relocation plan, Councillor King, who grew up in Alert Bay surrounded by totems, spoke out against its removal. When it became clear that the vote would proceed without further delay, (despite the fact that neither Tsartlip nor Tsawout had been consulted), King asked to sever the motion, voting first on the removal of the totem, and then on a display in the foyer. 

While the video log clearly shows Councillor King’s sole opposition to the removal of the totem, the official minutes tell a different story, stating that the motion passed unanimously.

And so Central Saanich is now faced with the unenviable task of answering the question, “What does one do with an old totem pole?”

“The traditional practice with totems was to let them fall to the earth and go back to where they came from,” says Carey Newman. “So it’s a new question to determine what to do with a totem when it becomes a potential hazard or risk.”

Unfortunately, it’s a question bound to come up again. A totem can take months to carve. Accordingly, they’re not inexpensive. Commissions for poles today often come from corporate or civic entities, who perhaps appreciate artistry more than cultural significance. Ironically the Saanichton Village Association itself could serve as an example of a typical client, with its recent commission of four new welcome poles at a time when the municipality hasn’t figured out yet what to do with the old one. At some point future councils will be forced to revisit the issue. How today’s council handles the culturally sensitive situation will likely serve as a blueprint for future action.

There might be a solution here.

Although totems traditionally disintegrate in place, it’s not unheard of to move a pole. The famous collections in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, Victoria’s Thunderbird Park, and the UBC Museum of Anthropology were relocated from all over BC. 

Newman tells of a totem given by his family generations ago that after consultation was relocated to the U’mista Cultural Society in Alert Bay. “But it was a different situation because it had been kept in a protected environment.” He adds, “It wouldn’t make me happy if it was my family that had carved the totem and it just came down and a photo put in its place. And it may be that it’s time to come down and if that’s the case, then have a proper discussion around what’s to take place.”

Is that the answer for Chief Thunderbird?

If so – where will it go?

And not to be crass – but who’s paying for it?