On July 16th, 2011 the 43 foot Two Brothers pole was raised in Jasper Park, BC.  The Parks Canada website has the announcement of the pole raising and more information on the event.

The pole crests and figures from bottom to top are the Mamats’igaay (Dragon Fly), Taan (Bear), Jaada (Woman), (Mountain Goat)

The Two Brothers pole tells the story of two brothers who set out from Haida Gwaii to the mainland.  During their odyssey, one of the brothers finds a wife among the inland peoples and decides to stay.  Years after the journey, the brother who returned to Haida Gwaii sets out to find his brother on the mainland again.  He is too late to meet up with him again as he has died, but instead meets his daughter, now grown up, and let’s her know that he is her uncle and that she has Haida ancestry.  The story, adapted by Gwaai and Jaalen with their naanaay elder Gwaaganad, Diane Brown, is told in full detail in the book The Two Brothers, A Haida Story.  For more coverage of the pole raising, check out photos on the Two Brothers Pole Gallery page and articles and photos on Haida Laas.

 

Jasper Pole Carving 2010/2011 from Jaalen Edenshaw on Vimeo.

A video of some of the stages of the carving along with the story of the pole told by Jaalen.