Sitka National Historical Park, AK
Read More
Trader Legend Pole
This is a Haida ridicule pole. Ridicule poles were used to notify people of an unpaid debt or other shameful act. The top figure is a white man as indicated by his curly hair and beard. He probably cheated the Haida. The figure below him holds a shrimp and a crab in his mouth, both symbols of thievery, The beaver at the bottom is the crest of the Sukkwan clan. This replica pole was carved in the 1938-42 CCC totem restoration project.
