Those Born at Koona
the totem poles of the Haida village Skedans Queen Charlotte Islands
- Publisher
- Hancock House
- Initial publish date
- Jan 1973
- Category
- North America, Native American, Native American Studies
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780919654037
- Publish Date
- Jan 1973
- List Price
- $50.00
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Where to buy it
Description
Have you ever gazed quickly at a totem pole? Wondered what it was saying? Contemplated what its crests meant? Or wondered how it fit into those structures of a village? Those Born at Koona draws together a complete a story as will ever be told about these monuments of cedar.
About the author
John Smyly was born in Australia and moved with his parents to Vancouver in 1932. He was educated in Vancouver and Victoria and began studying the totem poles of Haida Gwaii in 1955 while doing research for the provincial museum, Victoria. In 1957, he took part in the provincial museum-university of British Columbia joint salvage trip which visited Skedans and Ninstints and became a permanent member of the museum staff in 1965. His first-hand knowledge of the totem poles of British Columbia, their conservation and restoration and his years of study of the Skedans poles in particular, made him especially fit for the task he has undertaken in this works. In 1968, he met and married another member of the Museum staff, Canadian-born Carolyn Case and a historian with museum training in england. They have two children, Kathleen and Jennifer.