page_title: Nisga'a and Haida Crest Poles of the Royal Ontario Museum
hierarchical_section_title: Nisga'a and Haida Crest Poles of the Royal Ontario Museum
caption_attribution_description: English: Top Section of Sagaween Pole
context_page_description: The Nisga'a and Haida Crest Poles of the Royal Ontario Museum are a collection of four large totem poles, hand carved from western red cedar by the Nisga’a people and Haida people of British Columbia's coast. The poles are referred to as: Three Persons Along; the Pole of Sag̱aw̓een; the Shaking Pole of Kw’ax̱suu; and House 16: Strong House Pole. Each of the crest poles tell a family story, as carved figures represent crests that commemorate family history by describing family origins, achievements and experiences. These memorial poles were typically placed in front of the owners' house along the beach.
  The Nisga'a crest poles were acquired by C.M. Barbeau, and the Royal Ontario Museum received them in the early 1920s. However, due to the large size of the poles, they could not be put on display until an expansion of the museum in 1933, when the building could be constructed around them.
  Notably, the largest of the four crest poles, the Pole of Sag̱aw̓een, stands over 24.5 metres and is the tallest known example of a pole from the 19th century.
context_section_description: The Nisga'a and Haida Crest Poles of the Royal Ontario Museum are a collection of four large totem poles (sometimes referred to as "crest poles"), hand carved from western red cedar by the Nisga’a people and Haida people of British Columbia's coast.  The poles are referred to as: Three Persons Along (Nisga'a); the Pole of Sag̱aw̓een (Nisga'a); the Shaking Pole of Kw’ax̱suu (Nisga'a); and House 16: Strong House Pole (Haida). Each of the crest poles tell a family story, as carved figures represent crests that commemorate family history by describing family origins, achievements and experiences. These memorial poles were typically placed in front of the owners' house along the beach.
  The Nisga'a crest poles were acquired by C.M. Barbeau, and the Royal Ontario Museum received them in the early 1920s. However, due to the large size of the poles, they could not be put on display until an expansion of the museum in 1933, when the building could be constructed around them.
  Notably, the largest of the four crest poles, the Pole of Sag̱aw̓een, stands over 24.5 metres (80 ft) and is the tallest known example of a pole from the 19th century. The poles can be found in the Royal Ontario Museum, just outside the Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada: First Peoples, where the central staircase of the museum winds around them. These crest poles are part of the museum's list of "must-see" iconic objects.
caption: Top Section of Sag̱aw̓een Pole Eagle and Man Underneath
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