Originally scheduled for installation before the end of this summer, the newest Kadashan pole crafted at the WCA Carving Shed may not be raised until the summer of 2027.

“The (WCA) committee still has to meet to determine when it will go up,” said Mike Hoyt, one of the primary carvers on the project. “Totem raisings tend to happen usually during the summer.”

The pole represents the fifth iteration of a design that dates back more than 200 years.

The lineage began in the early 1800s, when Haida relatives presented Chief Kadashan with a five-foot carved wooden staff — known as the Kadashan Cane or Speaker’s Staff — to commemorate marriages between Haida men and Tlingit women. A few years later, Kadashan raised a totem pole modeled after the cane.

The newest carving serves as a replica of a 1940 pole, which was itself part of that succession. While nearly identical to a sister pole raised in Wrangell in July 2025, the new piece features a raven at the top rather than an eagle. Once installed, it will stand among the other poles in Totem Park. The weathered pole it replaces has lain on Shakes Island for several years following its removal.

According to Hoyt, the distinction between the raven and the eagle carries mirrored meanings between the two cultures, serving as a clan crest.

“For some reason, a raven in Haida is an eagle with the Tlingit, and an eagle is a raven,” Hoyt explained. “I’m not sure why that is. But the significance for this pole has to do with the fact that what would have been a Haida eagle clan member married a Tlingit raven clan member, but they translate to being the same thing.”

While awaiting a final installation date, Hoyt has started work on another piece: a replica of the Taalkunaxk’u Shaa, or Devil’s Thumb Mountain pole. He is currently roughing out the shape from a cedar log, hoping to complete it soon for eventual placement in Totem Park.

“The original pole was visible from Shakes Island, but to place it there now would be putting it on someone’s private property,” Hoyt said.

Beyond carving, Hoyt works to preserve the context behind each piece. He has posted historical research across the walls of the Carving Shed to help inform visitors.

“Underneath the different pieces of information, I have also printed out a timeline of the Tlingit people on Wrangell Island, reflecting the various events over hundreds of years in this location,” Hoyt said.

“I like to tell visitors at the shed that if I were to print a timeline of the whole of the Tlingit history — which some archeologists have dated as far back as 14,000 years — that printed timeline would stretch from the Carving Shed to the high school.”

Hoyt welcomes a steady stream of visitors through the workspace, comparing the experience to a living history museum.

“And while more people come here and get educated, we are still busy working and carving for more events and placements in the future,” he said. “The teacher side of me is always happy to share our cultural information with those who ask. And, as a carver, I’m excited to continue working on more projects.”