Tim Paul (born 1950) is a member of the

Hesquiaht The Hesquiaht are one of the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Today the Hesquiaht are governed mostly by the Hesquiaht First Nation band government, though some are in the Tla-O-Qui-Aht First ...

tribe from the

Nuu-Chah-Nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth ( ; ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifteen related tri ...

first nation. He is a master carver from

Esperanza Inlet Esperanza Inlet is an inlet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Its entrance is located off the northwest side of Nootka Island and is defined by a line drawn from Tachu Point to Blind Reef. Until that definition w ...

British Columbia. He was the senior carver at the Royal British Columbia Museum until 1992 when he left to oversee an indigenous education program for the Port Alberni school board on Vancouver Island.

Early life

Tim Paul was born in Esperanza Inlet. At the age of 11 he was suspected to have contracted tuberculosis and was sent to the Nanaimo Indian Hospital for treatment. While at the hospital he met a man who carved model totem poles. The man gave him a small carving knife and a piece of cedar and that is when he created his first carving. Paul attended Indian Residential school, where he lost much of his ability to speak his Indigenous language fluently. Recognizing the importance of language and the oral stories of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people many of his carvings are created to honor the themes of language and story.

Career

In 1975, Paul began carving at the Arts of the Raven Studio in Victoria, B.C. He learned under the direction of Ben Andrews and John Livingston. In 1977 he became an assistant carver to Richard Hunt at Thunderbird Park at the

Royal British Columbia Museum The Royal British Columbia Museum (or Royal BC Museum), founded in 1886, is a history museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The "Royal" title was approved by Queen Elizabeth II and bestowed by Prince Philip in 1987, to coincide with a ...

. Seven years later he was the first carver from outside of the Hunt family to become a senior carver. He worked at Thunderbird Park until 1992, when he left to develop the indigenous education curriculum for the

Port Alberni Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. Port Alberni currently has a total popu ...

school board. While working at Thunderbird Park he accepted commissions for many high profile totem poles. His work can be seen at the Great Hall of the

Canadian Museum of Civilization The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...

Hull, Quebec Hull is the central business district and oldest neighbourhood of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of Canada's ...

and in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

as a presentation to commemorate the

1990 Commonwealth Games The 1990 Commonwealth Games () were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January – 3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: at ...

. Paul has also worked as the Chief Carver on projects for

Stanley Park Stanley Park is a public park in British Columbia, Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown Vancouver, Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay, Vancouver, English Bay. The park bor ...

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

and the

Yorkshire Sculpture Park The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an art gallery, with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces, in West Bretton, Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It shows work by British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barb ...

in England. In addition to totem poles, Paul also carves masks and sculpture, and creates screen printed art. In 2019 Paul began work on a Language Revitalization Pole that was commissioned by the First Nations Education Foundation (FNEF) to commemorate the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Language, using an 800 year old wind fallen cedar log. The totem will symbolize the ten relations of the Nuu-Chul-Nuth people

Gallery

Kakaso'Las totem pole.jpg, Kakaso'Las totem pole at

, Vancouver, Canada West Yorkshire Sculpture Park (3807406126).jpg, 1982 totem pole at the

, England Totem Poles at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum.jpg, Totem poles at the

Captain Cook Birthplace Museum Captain Cook Birthplace Museum is a public museum located in Stewart Park in Marton, Middlesbrough within the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is one of two institutions managed by Middles ...

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

, England North Shore Totem 20230828 125428 03.jpg, The North Shore totem (1990) in

, New Zealand TotemPoleVictoriaBC-3.jpg, Haida Pole (1984) in Thunderbird Park, Victoria, Canada

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Tim Nuu-chah-nulth people People from Vancouver Island Totem pole carvers Totem poles in Canada 1950 births Living people