Ellen Neel's Kakaso’las totem pole

After forty years, one of the most recognizable totem poles at Stanley Park’s Brockton Point will be relocated. On September 4, the Kakaso’las totem pole carved by celebrated Kwakwaka’wakw artist Ellen Neel will be returned to the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia. This follows the conclusion of a loan agreement between MOA and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, which began in 1985.

Based on a recent assessment of the pole conducted by the MOA conservation team, the Neel family decided that the pole should return to MOA where it can be preserved into the future and continue to tell the history of Ellen Neel and her legacy. The Neel family, including Ellen Neel's oldest daughter, Cora Beddows, and granddaughter, Lou-ann Neel, support and have advocated for this return so that the pole can begin the next chapter of its life at MOA.

Discover Lou-ann’s personal connection to her grandmother and the artistic legacy that continues to inspire today!

Do you have a favorite memory of the Kakaso’las totem pole at Brockton Point in Stanley Park? Share it in the comments below. ❤️