Totem pole protected
22 January 2008
Ten years after it was carved, painted and ceremonially unveiled, Ilchinik's Spiritual Keepers returned to the Americas gallery on January 21 to witness the totem pole being covered up for protection during the refurbishment.
A staggering one and a half million objects, including the Museum's best loved exhibits, need to be packed for storage before the contractors take over the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in April. While most of the collections will be moved to a new purpose built store during RAMM's redevelopment, some, including Ilchinik the totem pole, will remain in the Museum.
The Totem Pole was carved at RAMM by Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations artist Tim Paul and assistants from Vancouver Island. The late Graham Searle, a full-time volunteer at RAMM for 17 years, assisted with the painting of Ilchinik. He became a close friend of Tim and was adopted into the Nuu-chah-nulth family group. When they returned to Vancouver, Graham was appointed Ilchinik's Spiritual Keeper, a hereditary title that has now passed to Graham's daughters. Two daughters, Eva and Freya and Afra, Graham's granddaughter, came with friends to help mark this occasion, the end of an important chapter in the life of Ilchinik.
