140 
The Squirrel pole stands in commemoration of a later Tewalasu/ 
and was carved about 1900-1905. 
C.A.RVERS 
The Squirrel pole was carved by Kweenu, of Gitwinlkul, a carver 
who died many years ago. Although its carving is of fair quality, it belongs 
to the same type as that of Hlamee, one of Kweenu ’s contemporaries of 
the same village; and it is far inferior to that of its neighbour, the older 
pole of Tewalasu, which is one of the finest on the whole Skeena. The 
identity of the carver of the Dog-salmon pole is not remembered. But 
we are inclined to think that he was from Nass river, possibly from one 
of the two upper villages (Gitlarhdamks or Gitwdnksilk), where this family 
has relatives and allies. The character of the carving inevitably reminds 
one of three other fish poles, one of w’hich still stands at Angyedie, on the 
Nass, another at Kitsalas,^ and a third formerly standing at Gitlarhdamks.® 
These four poles seem to be approximately of the same age and technique; 
the fish design is used in the same manner, head-down, and the human 
beings at the tail are most adroitly half-submerged into the body of the 
salmon. The sculptural quality of these monuments is so high and the 
treatment so happy that one is apt to forget the strict limitations of the 
medium — a straight and slender cedar pole. The unity of treatment and 
design and the fine decorative sense are hardly surpassed in any other pole 
on the Skeena, with the possible exception of the other Dog-salmon pole 
at Kitsalas — which in some ways at least is the better of the two. Here, 
as in many poles of the same period, the device of adding parts (in this 
instance, fins) is effectively resorted to, to reinforce the contour of the design 
and as a concession to decorative realism. One side of the log, approxi- 
mately a third of it, and also the core, were removed, as in most of the 
older poles; this seems to have contributed to the comparatively long life 
of the pole and its good state of preservation, in spite of its age.'* 
(46) Poles of Sqayaen, at Kitwanga 
OW'NERS 
The family of Sqaysen is one of the three units of the Eagle group at 
Kitwanga, and apparently the last to come into semi-independent exist- 
ence.® It is historically a subdivision of the household of Qawq which 
dates back to the time, a few generations ago, when the Eagle ancestors 
moved down from the fortress of Ta’awdzep, on Gitwinlkul river, and 
settled on the site of Kitwanga, along the Skeena; that is, at the edge of 
the river, near the spot occupied by the present railway station. Accord- 
*Tbe one whom Alfred Sinclair described as the second Tew'alasu (of his own acquaintance). 
*On the Giterhtsserh side (south) of the canyon of Kitsalas. 
•Photographs of which are available. 
•The heart rot that develops in a cedar pole when the core is not removed tends to hasten decay In neighbouring 
parts. 
‘Yet, the name of Leege-n®hle — that of the ancient head-chief of the three house holds — is still retained only in 
the family of Sqaysen. In this respect at least, Sqaysn represents, rather than Qawq, the earlier leader of the 
family. 
