Ellen Neel's Totem Poles

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Ellen Neel, "Dzonaqua Mask," 1962

carved red cedar. Photo by Holly Cecil

Ellen Neel’s show at the University of Victoria’s Legacy Gallery has a provocative subtitle: The First Woman Totem Pole Carver.

While it’s risky to declare something the first, the tallest, or largest – someone may well pop out of the woodwork with an example that puts such boldness to shame – Neel was undoubtedly a notable carver of her generation, renowned among the legions of tourists who visited the Totem Art Shop she ran with her family in a former military bunker in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

Born in Alert Bay, B.C., in 1916, Neel learned to carve from her grandfather, Charlie James, at a time when such expressions of indigenous culture were outlawed by federal statute. Neel, also known by her traditional name, Ka’Kasolas, was Kwakwaka'wakw.

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Ellen Neel, "Totemware ceramics - Totems, Alaska – Teapot," c.1954-1970

colour transfer, bone china. Produced by Royal Albert China. Photo by Holly Cecil

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Ellen Neel, “The Wonderbird” Pole, 1953

carved and painted red cedar. Commissioned by White Spot Ltd. Photo by Holly Cecil

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Ellen Neel, "Eagle Design," n.d.

courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives, Victoria

Neel made totem poles, large and small, as well as any number of other objects for the tourist trade, including jewelry, coasters, table runners and even designs for china manufactured by the Royal Albert company.

One of the oddest pieces in the exhibition is the Wonderbird Totem she carved from red cedar for the White Spot restaurant. Topped by a white rooster, it was featured on restaurant menus in the 1950s.

Family is a central focus of the exhibition, which includes a colour-coded guide to multiple generations of the Neel family. Many works by family members are featured, including a lovely mask of Neel by her grandson, David. It shows Neel’s strong and confident visage, with eyes gazing resolutely forward.

David A. Neel, "Mask of Ellen Neel, 1990

Ellen Neel at work in her studio.

Neel was something of a visionary, as revealed in the text of a speech she made in 1948 at the B.C. Arts and Welfare Society Conference.

Noting that First Nations’ art is a living and changing form of creative expression, she suggested indigenous imagery could enhance objects of daily life.

“To me, the art is a living symbol of the gaiety, the laughter, and the love of colour of my people – a day-to-day reminder that even we had something of glory and honour, before the white man came.”

Neel died in 1966 when she was just 49, but her legacy lives on through her art and the work of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The show continues to April 1.