Haida art saw a resurgence in the second half of the 20th century. One account suggests that there were no poles raised in Haida Gwaii since the late 1800s (Auchter 2019). In 1969, 22 year old Haida carver, Robert Davidson, set out to change that when he and the villagers of Old Masset gathered to erect the first pole raised by the Haida people in the 20th century. The 1969 totem was Davidson's first full scale work, having honed his craft carving miniature totems in argillite. His act re-entextualized the totem pole from a secret art form in non-traditional materials back into a prominent and important cultural work of the Haida people (Auchter 2019; Bauman 2008). Despite access to modern tools, the pole was carved using hand tools and raised manually according to Haida tradition using ropes to slowly raise and then brace it with wood beams until it stood vertically (Auchter 2019). Contrary to tradition, people from both the Eagle and the Raven clans were invited to take part in the ceremony, an act that speaks to the weakened cultural condition of the Haida people at the time. It was a spark that re-invigorated the Haida people and reconnected generations of cultural history. It dragged Haida elders, some of the last living cultural gatekeepers, back into the open, re-igniting cultural pride and re-introducing a cascade of associated traditions to a new generation of Haida people.

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     A few years later, the Haida artist, Bill Reid helped to draw attention to Haida art with exhibitions and the weight of critical acclaim for his skilled contributions to the form (Jack Long 1979). Reid was asked to carve and erect the first modern Totem pole in Haida Skidegate near central Haida Gwaii, an act that, similar to the Davidson pole, hadn’t been completed since the 19th century. The tribe provided support and direct assistance during the carving of the pole but Reid represented a derivation in the methods for carving Haida totems – he used modern tools like a chainsaw which met with a mixed reception from some Haida craftspeople. Even so, his pole was the first to have been erected in front of Skidegate and was later joined by 6 others (Michaela McGuire 2014). Counter to tradition, the Bill Reid pole was later removed for safety reasons due to natural structural deterioration but is remembered fondly by members of the community. In first-hand accounts this is both understandable and sad since the poles are meant to lay where they fall. This represents some form of deterritorialization, as Haida people have adopted a stance of preservation for their art that is outside of tradition (Gross 2008). It represents a shift away from totems as a representation of wealth and towards a revised Haida cultural ideal which incorporates pragmatic survivorship, cultural re-invigoration and elements of Western historical preservation. The Reid pole is spoken about with reverence and will be preserved in the Haida Gwaii museum for generations of Haida people to see (Michaela McGuire 2014). That fact is both bittersweet for the defiance of Haida tradition, and an optimistic sign for the health of the people of Haida Gwaii. In doing so, for the first time, future generations of Haida might one day marvel at a centuries old cultural landmark that helped restart a culture that was nearly lost.