Henry Hunt

Henry Hunt (16 October 1923 – 13 March 1985) was a First Nations woodcarver and artist from the Kwakwakaʼwakw (formerly "Kwakiutl") people of coastal British Columbia. He carved a number of totem poles which are on public display in Canada and internationally.

Early life He was born in 1923 in the Kwakwakaʼwakw community of Fort Rupert, B.C. He was a descendant of the renowned ethnologist George Hunt. In 1954 he moved to Victoria and became Martin's chief assistant in the Thunderbird Park carving program. He produced a totem pole for the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo67 in Montreal, and a pole for the Totem Marina at Shuswap Lake, BC. This pole is reputedly the world's tallest totem pole, standing at ; the previous claim to the title was a pole carved by Henry Hunt, Mungo and David Martin standing at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, depicting the legend of Geeksen, the first man in Kwakwakaʼwakw mythology. Another of Hunt's poles stands at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal; this pole depicts the Kwakwakaʼwakw mythological figures of Grizzly Bear and the Whale, and was awarded first prize in the Route of the Totems contest.

Other works by Hunt can be seen in Victoria, at Victoria Harbour and in the entrance of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria; at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC; at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Vancouver; and in Confederation Park, Ottawa, ON.

Hunt produced many smaller works including small presentation poles (approximately 45 cm long) which were presented as gifts to visiting heads of state and dignitaries; recipients have included prime minister Lester Pearson, US President Lyndon B. Johnson and Queen Elizabeth II.

Death Henry Hunt died on 13 March 1985 in Victoria and was buried in Hatley Memorial Gardens, Hatley Park.