A Look At Chief Tony Hunt

The artist of this Totem Pole is Chief Tony Hunt (A First Nations artist of Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl) ancestry), whom along with his uncle and two cousins carved the Totem Pole in the 1960s. Apparently the carving took approximately a month and half to finish.

Chief Hunt mentioned that the tools used were not very advanced (no chainsaws) for this Totem Pole and that's why the carvings "aren't very deep". Tony Hunt recalls carving the totem, and on the basis of his recommendation, Foreign Affairs Canada has changed the title of the totem to "Chief's Crest Pole".

Today Chief Hunt lives in British Columbia and his artwork is available in many galleries all over the country.  His Totem Poles can be found all over the world including Japan and Mexico. He is also responsible for the for the KwaGulth ceremonial Big House, considered to be the largest of it's kind in the Pacific Northwest.

A Fond Farewell To The Totem Pole

Ambassador Robert Peck and his wife Maria Pantazi-Peck say their goodbyes to the Totem Pole before the big move.

From the Official Residence:

"The garden of the Official Residence in Athens is not quite the same since Chief Tony Hunt's totem left last week for restoration at the Benaki Museum. The totem was the focal point of the garden and at night, stood out as a proud symbol of Canada's First Nation's heritage beneath the towering palms.

Chief Hunt's visit last year was a highlight of the totem story. At an evening talk about his art attended by diplomats and cultural contacts, Hunt emotionally told us that the totem in Athens was only the third he had carved at the very start of his career. Who would have thought of such a reunion in Athens almost 40 years later!

Although the totem's absence leaves a major void, the sun and heat over the years had started to exact a heavy toll. A face-lift will no doubt bring back much of the work's original resonance.

Pending plans for the totem's future in an indoor location, it will be on display following restoration at the Benaki Museum in Athens so that members of the Greek public, especially children, will learn about Canada's history and diversity."

Maria Pantazi-Peck, spouse of Robert Peck, Ambassador of Canada to the Hellenic Republic

The Beginning...

The Totem Pole in Attica project is an interactive look at the restoration of a piece of Canadian aboriginal art now located in Athens Greece.  This blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube sites will allow anybody a glimpse at the history, present, and future of this piece of art that now plays the role of Ambassador for Canada in Greece.

In the coming months this site will tell you more about this beautiful totem pole originally carved by Chief Tony Hunt more than 30 years ago.  We will keep you up to date on the current restoration project designed to return this pole to it's original glory.  There are going to be many opportunities for anybody visiting Greece to see this pole and the restoration work in progress first hand, and we will keep you up to date on where and how you can do this.