Carved posts at Alert Bay

Description

These two heraldic columns at the Nimkish village Yilis, on Cormorant island represent the owner’s paternal crest, an eagle, and his maternal crest, a grizzly-bear crushing the head of a rival chief. On the subject of crests and totem poles, see Volume X, page 140, and illustrations facing pages 8,10,18,20,24,26,34,138,140,174,176, and folio plates 341,350,353.