Haida Totem Installed at Library
Posted June 17, 2013 at 5:40 am by Tim Dustrude
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An unusual carved totem was installed in the San Juan Island Library on Thursday, June 13. The sculpture depicts Eagle with Three Chiefs. The 91” tall totem was carved by noted First Nation carver, Robert Horn, circa 1940. Horn (or Horne) was from a family of well-known carvers.
The totem base is an unusual side facing eagle: the eagle’s talons point east while the head faces south. The eagle is surmounted by a group of three chiefs, recognized by their three-ringed hats. A cluster of chiefs represents the Haida Watchmen, an ancient society entrusted with guarding Haida Gwaii, the ancestral home of the Haida Nation, according to Totem Poles by Pat Kramer.
The library received the totem as a bequest from Patsi Daugherty. Patsi was a good friend of the San Juan Island Library, volunteering in the Friends of the Library Treasure Cove store. She loved books and libraries. Prior to her passing at age 86, Patsi lived for a time at the Village at the Harbour, where the totem previously graced the foyer.
“When Larry Daugherty told me about the bequest in Patsi’s will, I was very touched and excited. The Library Art Committee vetted the acquisition and the Board of Trustees approved it on Tuesday,” said library director Laurie Orton.
The totem is approximately 91″ X 18″ wide X 12″ deep, carved from a solid piece of western red cedar. You can see the almost eight foot high totem, fittingly, at the end of the Library’s Northwest collection, near the fireplace.
In addition to its collections of materials to loan, the library also provides public access computers and WiFi. The library web site provides consumer, financial and academic information, language learning, and test preparation to account holders from any location with internet access. Library hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.
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