The History Behind the Kwanusila Totem Pole

The Kwanusila, "Thunder- Maker" is an Indian totem pole carved in red cedar donated to the City of Chicago by James L. Kraft on June 20, 1992. The sculpture depicts a thunderbird on top of a whale's tail. The whale is upside down and there is a warrior riding its back with a spear in his hand. At the very bottom, there is a face of a sea monster.

Chicago was originally settled by Native Americans who set the foundation of the city. The Kwanusila totem pole in Chicago stands as a reminder of Chicago's indigenous history. The Kwanusila Totem pole also known as the "Thunder- Maker" is a 40 feet tall sculpture created by James Kraft. James Kraft was a collector of Native American artifacts, specifically the Pacific Northwest. He donated the totem pole to the City of Chicago in 1929. The original Kwanusila totem pole was featured in the world’s Columbian exposition of 1893 and was carved by Kwakwakawakw Indians. The original pole came from British Columbia from a native American tribe. This totem pole tells the story of their tribe through their paintings and carvings. How it was carved and painted showcases their talent and skills. The kwakwakawak Indians are known for their wood carving such as totem poles and painted masks. 

This statue depicts a thunderbird on the top of a whale’s tail. The whale is upside down. And a warrior is riding its back with a spear in his hands and at the very bottom, there is a face of a sea monster. The totem pole Kwanusila is known as the “Thunder- maker” because of the story behind it. There are many versions of the story behind this sculpture but all of them come to the common idea that the human figure in the sculpture represents a lonely man who was tired of going around exploring without having a place to stay and call home. He wanted to build his own house and settle down. He was struggling to build his house and wanted to give up. He sat on the edge close to the water when he saw a thunderbird. He said out loud that only if he were human he could help him build this house with his great strength. Then the thunderbird said, “But I am human!” and lifted the visor of the thunderbird costume. He helped him build his house and then asked him what he was building it for. In which he replied that he was building it for himself and his people to have a permanent home. The thunderbird then said that he thought that was a great idea and that he will be joining him to form a tribe. He then proceeded to take off the costume and sent it back to the heavens saying, “Go back to your home and take heed that you thunder not out of season. At one time only shall your voice roar forth and that only if one of my future posterity is near to the borders of death.”

Today’s totem pole is a replica carved by the great great grandson of the original person who carved the first kwanusila totem pole. The original totem was made out of wood and because of weather conditions in Chicago such as humidity, wind, coldness, and other factors the totem pole started to wear out, forming cracks and faded paint. Inclusively, there is a history of Chicagoans not being kind to the sculptural landmark. They vandalized it and tried to burn it down but did not succeed. Soon they changed their mind about trying to take it down because they realized that totems like the one they have are rare and significant. Since 1929, it was in constant repairation. In 1966, the pole was drastically renovated because the original pole was extremely damaged. Kaft’s workers attempted to restore it, but the painted symbols were not the same as the original totem pole. Some have suggested that Kraft workers didn’t realize how important it was to include all features with great accuracy. This caused the original symbols on the pole to almost completely disappear and lose their significance.

In 1982, the field museum opened its exhibit for the first time in which brought new attention to the totem pole and experts began to see its historical and cultural significance. As a result members of the Namgis and Kwakuit tribes visited Chicago in 1985. They saw the terrible conditions in which the totem was in and decided to repair it in order to preserve it. After realizing that there was nothing they could do to repair it, Tony Hunt Jr, a relative of George Hunt was assigned to replicate it, which is the pole standing today at Lincoln Park. The totem pole was unveiled on May 21,1986. He did a great job at trying to replicate the original totem pole. He restored the pole’s form and colors exactly how it used to look before all the damage.

Fun Fact: Hunt was a hereditary chief of the kwakwaka tribe of Fort Rupert, British Columbia.

• Events, P. by under. (2017, March 15). The history of Kwa̱nu'Sila, "the thunder-maker." the totem pole at Addison Street and Lake Shore Drive. 3750 Lake Shore Drive. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from http://www.3750lsd.net/posts/history-kwa%CC%B1nusila-thunder-maker-totem-pole-addison-street-lake-shore-drive/.
• District, C. P. (n.d.). Kwa-ma-Rolas: Artwork. Chicago Park District. Retrieved November 27, 2021, from https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/kwa-ma-rolas-artwork.