Canada Island Totem Pole

Joe David and Frank Charlie working on Canada Island. (From “Expo ‘74 World’s Fair Spokane.”)

This totem pole was created during Expo ‘74 by Native artists from British Columbia, assisted by visitors to the fair. It was installed on August 29, 1974 in a formal ceremony.

The artist, Hyacinth Joseph “Joe” David, is a legendary master artist of the Northwest. He is from the Tla-o-qui-aht Band of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, and has also been formally adopted by the Haida people. His work is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and has been featured at the Museum of Art and Design in New York.

Like many of the other artists whose work graced Expo ‘74, David was relatively early in his career when he left his mark on Spokane - he had only just turned 29 when the totem pole was finished. His apprentice, Frank Charlie, was only in his early 20s, and has since gone on to have a stellar career in his own right.

This totem pole is still on its original site today. Although the paint is largely gone, you can still appreciate the talent and scale of this artistic endeavor. (For more information and images of the totem pole in 2024, please see this page.)