This staggering work has to been seen to be fully appreciated. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
Since the colonists of British Columbia forced the Native People of the coast to burn their totems, lose sight of their traditions and abolish the use of their own languages, Mairi Budreau, an artist wholly passionate about the survival and re-generation of traditional Native culture, thought that it should be a white person who 'repairs' a totem pole and gives it back to the Native people as a gesture of good will for today and the future. Mairi is that white person.
History:
Renowned Haida artist Bill Reid and a team of anthropologists rescued the Grizzly Totem of Tanu from decay in 1951. Carved in red cedar, it stood 36 feet in height and guarded the then abandoned village of Tanu on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Gwaii Haanas). Reid's mother was a descendant from Tanu.
The totem was cut to fit into the steam ship that carried it to the Provincial Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, and was installed in its new form, four separate pieces. Later in the 20th century it was moved and installed in the Grand Hall at the Museum of Anthropology, UBC in Vancouver, British Columbia where it remains to this day.
The pole was named The Grizzly Pole of Tanu and each of the four sections represents a character. The bottom and largest piece is a grizzly bear. Above the bear is a cormorant (a sea bird) and above that is an eagle (with the beak broken off). At the top sit three watchmen whose task it was to look out to sea and 'protect' the people living in the long house below. The Grizzly pole has been featured in many books.
Budreau:
Budreau's idea to put a totem pole back together, could not be done with the actual cedar totem of course, she mapped out a plan to recreate the Grizzly Totem of Tanu two-thirds life size. As a specialist drawing in hyper-realism, Budreau could see that by using graphite pencils she could produce the detailed wood grain and the graphite would seamlessly create the colour of weathered cedar. And so after photographing the real totem she located all the materials needed to make a drawing that would be 24 feet tall.
In 1996 with written permission from Haida Chief, Miles Richardson Sr., Budreau put down the first lines of what would become a monumental undertaking. Budreau also saw her work may possibly draw lines toward better relations between Canadians and First Nations People.
The project has had quite a life since then. Bill Reid had a private viewing in his home when it was about 6 feet tall. He 'endorsed the drawing in principle' and since it was not yet completed he could not give it an official ndorsement. Bill Reid passed away in 1998, with the drawing unfinished. When it was 13 feet tall and half completed, the drawing was unveiled by members of the R.C.M.P. in full red Serge. When it was 14 feet tall it was a show stopper at the 1998 First Global Mural Conference in Chemainus BC.
Today the drawing is 17 feet tall with only 7 feet to go.
Budreau intended this drawing to be a gift to BC's First Nations People. Space was set aside for it at a Museum in Skidegate, Queen Charlotte Islands. and she worked on it everyday for two years. But the space for the drawing was filled before she could finish it. Since the piece requires nearly 30 vertical feet to install, no other place could be found for it on the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Budreau has offered her totem drawing as a gift to Museums across Canada and what has become clear is that a work of this nature would not be accepted from a white artist.
Representatives in public institutions to which the drawing was offered, accused Budreau of cultural appropriation despite Chief Richardson's written permission to proceed. Even with the support of local Native Chiefs who welcomed the proposal of the drawing installed in their territories, the institutions backed away from displaying it. Budreau couldn't believe the publicity, tourist draw and especially the need to heal relations with First Nations people that housing this drawing would bring, was not recognized.
Budreau continues to work on the drawing today.
Click here to see The World's Largest Drawing video on YouTube.
"Its message is so much bigger than the politics I face finding a home for the Monumental Drawing to stand in Canadian society. Perhaps it takes an individual to raise this piece, perhaps another country."
The Monumental Totem is drawn on Stonehenge archival cotton 'paper'
Dimensions: 30 feet by 5 feet.
Beyond a ruler, no mechanical aids are used to produce this workg
contact budreau@shaw.ca
Recommended archival installation concepts are available to serious collectors only.
In order of appearance
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