The Owl Spirit totem pole was carved for the City of Duncan collection in 1986 by Duncan carver Tom LaFortune. It is 3.5m (11’7″) tall and stands on the north side of Station Street, between Craig Street and Government Street, in downtown Duncan.
It is part of our Walking Tour of Downtown Duncan Totem Poles.
Carver Tom LaFortune describes Owl Spirit as a tribute to his grandfather, his mother and his aunts.
“My late grandfather, my late aunts and my mother always believed their suli (Spirit) to be Spulqwitth’e’ (Owl). That’s why I did an Owl, to respect my mother. Rather than leave bare wood at the bottom, I wanted the Chief to have on his Killer Whale clan regalia. I cut my hand with a chisel when I was carving the hand on the Chief figure, and when I was done I carved five stitches on the bottom of the Chief’s hand. Wood is the perfect medium. You don’t make mistakes; you makes modifications with wood.”
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