Lyle Wilson

Yellow Cedar wood

Stone base

58.5 x 4.5 x 4.25″
60 x 9 x 6″ (including base)

This GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA (totem pole) is my homage to various native groups on the Pacific Northwest Coast (PNC).

NUGWA (I/me) have been familiar with some of these neighbouring groups from a young age.
When NUGWA entered the University of British Columbia and one of my courses included PNC art, my interest grew greater since NUGWA actually knew people from neighbouring PNC groups.

In addition NUGWA was introduced to the UBC Museum of Anthropology (MOA) and it’s helpful staff and fascinating collection of PNC artifacts — in turn my MOA experience led to visiting more museums and their staff.. In short, it was a pretty comprehensive “learning experience” into the old traditional cultures of the PNC. So over the last 50 plus years, NUGWA expanded my interactions with a very broad range of both native and non-native folks.

It has been a very rewarding experience!

At university, NUGWA first saw an anthropological map of the PNC linguistic groups that was vertically-oriented from north to south. Much later NUGWA painted my own map that was similarly arranged; it not only showed the various linguistic groups but also had a decorative border of PNC formline animals. Meanwhile — to name a few — NUGWA kept meeting more folks from many of the original native peoples: Tlingit, Tahltan, Metlakatla (B.C & Alaska), Gitxaala, Gitga’at, Kitasoo, Lax Kw’alaams, Gingolx, Gitlaxt’aamix, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts’ap, Kitselas, Gitxsan, Haida, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Nuxalk, Kwaguithl, ‘Namgis, Dzawad’enuxw, Tseshaht, Hupacasath, Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Chinook, Tla’amin (Sliammon), Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam.

All these connections made an impact so NUGWA started thinking about all these people and how much they’ve enriched my life — some were artists, carvers, singers, dancers, chiefs, politicians. Still others were from different walks of life and were equally interesting, intelligent & talented people and many became friends.

So that became the basis for this GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA where each general linguistic PNC group is represented by a carving that’s supposed to be in their style — it’s my way of honouring their contribution to life; not just my life either!

NUGWA must admit that many native people who are not from the PNC, as well as many non-natives, have also enriched my life, but this piece of wood wasn’t big enough to accommodate everyone — so it’s possible that an even more inclusive GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA may be in the future somewhere.

Lyle Wilson 2024

Yellow Cedar wood, Abalone shell, Acrylic paint

Stone base

58 x 8 x 7″
59.5 x 10.5 x 8.5″ (including base)

This GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA (totem pole) was inspired by an early HAISLA carver named Alfred Wesley — the older HAISLA generation remember him quite well: “he was an old man when I knew him… he was adapted out to the Haida at a very young age in the old Indian custom …. His father told him told him who he was and he moved back to KITAMAAT. He used to have an old, round washtub filled with water, which he kept small carvings in. He worked for awhile on each, put it back and worked on another till he got tired of it and put it back in the tub. He continued this until he finished each carving in the tub — it took (him) about a month to finish the tub full of his carvings. People used to call him DUH-DOOK-DA-MAH-DOS; his wife, Julia Wesley, was called JAH-BUS-DEE.”

Another elder said, “He used to come around to the house at mealtimes and eat with us. Eventually he gave Harry (her husband) a small model totem pole he’d carved and painted. Harry didn’t like the painting so he tried to “improve” it and he made it worse — he gave up and painted the whole thing black. He was from KITAMAAT but adapted to the Massett Haida (in) the old Indian way.”

Still another elder said, “he’s HAISLA and his brother was Edwin Wesley (he couldn’t remember the father’s name at that time). He learned to carve when he was over the islands… he’s buried somewhere up at the old graveyard. That’s one of his poles right there (pointing to a shelf).”

The 2 model GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA were still in possession of the informants when NUGWA (I/me) talked to them circa 2000, and were very AIX (good) carvings. The UBC Museum of Anthropology also has a few of his carvings so DUH-DOOK-DA-MAH-DOS was an early influence of mine and that’s why NUGWA decided to pay homage to him by carving this GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA.

My version is based on a model GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA attributed to DUH-DOOK-DA-MAH-DOS. In turn, NUGWA believe that his
GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA was based on a Haida story about the great flood that was believed to have occurred in the olden days — as the water rose up, the inhabitants of the GYUU-AUCH (bighouse) tried to escape by climbing the tall GLA-GLA-QWIL-SA in front of the GYUU-AUCH.

So the “escapees” are on the GLA-GLA-QWIL-SALA, holding onto to each other — one wears a apron with a MUSAQ (rainbow) on it.

This is my own added detail because when NUGWA was growing up the introduced Christian religion’s influence was still strong and NUGWA was made to learn its “GREAT FLOOD” story; in which the MUSAQ became the symbol of the Christian god’s promise that another great flood would never happen again.

Lyle Wilson 2024