The southwest corner of Douglas and Belleville Sts, near Victoria’s Inner Harbour, is part of the Royal B.C. Museum (RBCM) complex, which includes St. Ann’s Schoolhouse (637 Elliot St) and Helmcken House (638 Elliot St). The structures in 2022 consist of Mungo Martin’s traditional Longhouse or Wawadit’ta which he created in 1953 and and 11 replica poles. Nineteen original poles are displayed in the enclosed forecourt of the museum.
Thunderbird Park is named for the mythological creature found on many totem poles: the ones in the park came from the Gitxsan, Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw and other First Nations. The original totem poles were in the RBCM collection; in 1941 they were moved out‐ doors onto the then vacant lot. Several years later a restoration program became necessary. Kwakwaka’wakwcarver and craftsman Chief Nakapankam (Mungo Martin, b. Tsaxis [Fort Rupert, BC] 1879-1962) headed the work, in collaboration with anthropology curator Wilson Duff (b. Vancouver 1925-1976). (Martin had established a similar program at the University of British Columbia in the Anthropology Museum.)
he lengthy project, completed by 1992, involved once again moving the poles indoors and replacing them with replicas. From 1954 he was assisted by son-in-law Henry Hunt (b. Tsaxis 1923-1985), also assisted by sons Tony Hunt OBC (b. Alert Bay, BC 1942-2017) and Richard Hunt OC (b. Alert Bay 1951), and Tim Paul (b. Esperanza Inlet, BC 1950), Lawrence Bell, David Gladstone, David Martin and William “Bill” Reid OBC (b.Victoria 1920-1998).