In 1884, the Canadian government outlawed potlatches, the public ceremonies that formed the basis of the Haida legal and political system. Because totem poles were intricately tied to potlatches, the ban essentially spelled the end of poles. The ban was finally lifted, and in 1969 the first new monumental totem pole in almost a century was raised ceremoniously in Haida Gwaii.

Since then, a dozen free-standing poles have gone up around the Haida reserve of Old Massett. The interesting thing about them is that they are not recreations of old poles or commemorative pieces remembering the height of Haida culture. They are modern tributes that recognize recent events, like the inauguration of a new hereditary chief or the opening of a new building.

During my visit to the village, I heard that Mr. White, a well-known argillite carver, was working on a new totem pole — his fifth. When I dropped by his work shed, his son Vernon was chipping away at it.