Hilaire Entrance Pole

Projects: Phase I

Restoration of the Hillaire Entrance Pole

December 10th 2005 - Restoration Work Begins

The main totem pole was designed by UW professor and curator of the Burke Museum, William Holm, a nationally known authority on Northwest Coast First Peoples. He made the design at the request of the Sahaptin Chapter who had won the privilege in a Potlatch attendance contest. The design is symbolic of the original five chapters of the Lodge. The top figures are Watchmen of the Sahaptin Chapter, the second figure down is a wolf of the Klahanie Chapter, the Eagle symbolizes the KwinKwinKuleg Chapter, the fourth is the Sun of


	the Sunyakwa Chapter and the Beaver is of the Hyas Eena Chapter. The lodge commissioned Joe Hillaire a master carver and activist of the Lummi Tribe to carve the pole in the Coast Salish style. The proud pole was erected and dedicated along with the longhouse in 1962.

While the Longhouse Committee sought out site plans and building designs they felt it was prudent to work on restoration of the historically unique Hill aire Entrance Pole. It would be almost impossible to try to replace a monument of this type. Totem poles of this stature are hardly commissioned these days, if at all. Replacement cost for this gigantic piece of art was projected to be up towards a half of a million dollars. It was crucial that repairs and restoration occur so that the Hillaire pole would grace the new building, once built, for many years to come.

The plan was to bring down the pole so that work could be done on it and the site before the new longhouse was created. Once built the pole would be re-raised on a new foundation and be secured to the building as well.

Restoration work on the Hillaire pole began on December 10, 2005. Youth and adult volunteers first braced the pole to provided additional strength.

Attaching Braces and Straps

Then once braced and strapped a crane began to lift the pole until the base carried none of the pole massive weight. The L-Beams were then cut and the pole gracefully swung free. Then, carefully, using guide wires the volunteers spun and lowered the pole to the site of restoration along what was the southern wall of the old longhouse

The damage of forty years was clearly evident. Rot and soft spots were present on several of the figures. The base of the pole was so badly rotted that little remained. The Sunyakwa’s Sun beak needed to be replaced along with the watchmen’s hats. A woodpecker sometime over the past few years also found a home in one of the watchmen’s cheeks

Ready to Lift the Pole

The Rotted Base

Woodpecker Hole on Watchman’s Cheek