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Third pole raised Saturday

For a tense few minutes at the Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay last Saturday, a volunteer crew held their collective breath, as they gently pulled on the ropes to raise the fragile ancient Beaver Pole in the Pole Gallery of the Centre. The pole was carefully slipped into a tight place to join two other ancient poles from Tanu. The poles were all carved in the 1870s or 1880s. The restored Beaver Pole is impregnated with fibreglass to give it the structural strength needed to stand upright. It stood for almost 100 years in Skidegate before falling down. This Sunday (January 14) there will be a public celebration to honour the raising of the three poles. It starts at 11 am with pole viewing, then there's a feast at noon, followed by presentations at 1 pm. Everyone's invited.