Kakaso’Las Totem Pole Wall Quilt

Annette Janca saw the Kakaso’Las Totem Pole when she visited Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia and it became her inspiration for this wall quilt. It was carved by Ellen Neel and her Uncle Mungo Martin for Woodward’s Department Store in 1955. Ellen was a Kwakwakaʼwakw artist and woodcarver and is the first woman known to have professionally carved totem poles. Ellen Neel came from Alert Bay, British Columbia, and her work is in public collections throughout the world. The totem pole was later moved to Stanley Park in 1980 and was restored by Ellen’s son Robert.
The Kakaso’Las Totem Pole has a large thunderbird with outstretched wings sitting on top of a sea bear clutching an orca, followed beneath by a man holding a frog. Below is Bak’was, or “wild man of the woods” with a large yellow nose that looks like a beak. Further down the giantess Dzunukwa sitting with her hands holding her knees and her lips open. Finally, at the bottom sits the Raven.
The pattern pieces for the Kakaso’Las Totem Pole are not included. Instead, the instructions and photos give you the steps and techniques to create your own unique totem pole wall quilt.
skill level Advanced
finished measurements 28” x 49” [71 x 125cm]