Ellen Neel
Encyclopedia
Ellen Neel was a Kwakwaka'wakw art
ist woodcarver and is the first woman known to have professionally carved totem pole
s. She came from Alert Bay, British Columbia
, and her work is in public collections throughout the world.
Scholar Priya Helweg writes, "Until Ellen Neel emerged as a professional carver in the late 1920's no women are named as carvers in the literature." Neel inspired subsequent First Nation women, such as Freda Diesing
(Haida) and Doreen Jensen (Gitksan), to take up carving.
name Kakaso'las) was born on November 14, 1916 in Alert Bay, British Columbia
. Her parents were both mixed race and she was a member of the Kwakwaka'wakw
tribe. Ellen learned Northwest carving from her maternal grandfather, Charlie James, a noted totem carver and stepfather of the famed sculptor Mungo Martin
. While attending St. Michael's residential school Charlie arduously taught Ellen line work, old styles, stories and dedication. Her grandfather's education and her hard work led to Ellen selling work by the age of 12.
In 1939 Ellen married the well-liked roustabout and metal smith, Ted Neel. They moved to Vancouver
, and together had seven children. Ellen was a stay at home mom, but still completed a few carvings for friends. Then things changed dramatically after Ted suffered a severe stroke
. They needed money and Ted no longer could fully support the family. They decided Ellen's carving would become an official full-time business. Ted handled the business side of it while Ellen designed, carved, and painted.
where she established Totem Art Studios.
In 1949, Neel completed the restoration of several historic totems for the University of British Columbia
. She traditionally dedicated a 16 foot-totem to the university in 1950, completing the foyer of a hotel. Soon her sons completed the bulk of carving while she painted production work of six-inch to 18-inch poles for the reliable tourist trade. Though the small poles were the family’s bread and butter Ellen was able to work on large artistically freeing totems such as the pole commissioned in 1953 for a museum in Denmark
.
In 1955, Woodward's Department Store commissioned Neel to create five totem poles for an Edmonton shopping mall. These were returned to the coast in the 1980s, and Neel's son, Robert, restored on that would later stand in Stanley Park.
. The children began their own lives, but would send back money as things were beginning to get hard for the Neels. Their son John stayed with them and would help Ellen carve. Robert "Bob" Neel became a carver in his own right.
Ellen's grandson David Neel
is a carver, jeweler, painter, photographer, and author active today in British Columbia.
Kwakwaka'wakw art
Kwakwaka'wakw art describes the art of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples of the Pacific Northwest. It encompasses a wide variety of woodcarving, sculpture, painting, weaving and dance. Kwakwaka'wakw arts are exemplified in totem poles, masks, wooden carvings, jewelry and woven blankets. Visual arts are...
ist woodcarver and is the first woman known to have professionally carved totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
s. She came from Alert Bay, British Columbia
Alert Bay, British Columbia
Alert Bay is a village on Cormorant Island, British Columbia, Canada. According to the 2006 census, 556 people live within the village.-Population:Slightly more than half of the village's 556 residents are First Nations people...
, and her work is in public collections throughout the world.
Scholar Priya Helweg writes, "Until Ellen Neel emerged as a professional carver in the late 1920's no women are named as carvers in the literature." Neel inspired subsequent First Nation women, such as Freda Diesing
Freda Diesing
Freda Diesing was one of very few female carvers of Northwest Coast totem poles and a member of the Haida First Nation of British Columbia, Canada....
(Haida) and Doreen Jensen (Gitksan), to take up carving.
Early life
Ellen May (née Newman) Neel (PotlatchPotlatch
A potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures...
name Kakaso'las) was born on November 14, 1916 in Alert Bay, British Columbia
Alert Bay, British Columbia
Alert Bay is a village on Cormorant Island, British Columbia, Canada. According to the 2006 census, 556 people live within the village.-Population:Slightly more than half of the village's 556 residents are First Nations people...
. Her parents were both mixed race and she was a member of the Kwakwaka'wakw
Kwakwaka'wakw
The Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
tribe. Ellen learned Northwest carving from her maternal grandfather, Charlie James, a noted totem carver and stepfather of the famed sculptor Mungo Martin
Mungo Martin
Chief Mungo Martin or Nakapenkem , Datsa , was an important figure in Northwest Coast style art, specifically that of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. He was a major contributor to Kwakwaka'wakw art, especially in the realm of wood sculpture and painting...
. While attending St. Michael's residential school Charlie arduously taught Ellen line work, old styles, stories and dedication. Her grandfather's education and her hard work led to Ellen selling work by the age of 12.
In 1939 Ellen married the well-liked roustabout and metal smith, Ted Neel. They moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and together had seven children. Ellen was a stay at home mom, but still completed a few carvings for friends. Then things changed dramatically after Ted suffered a severe stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. They needed money and Ted no longer could fully support the family. They decided Ellen's carving would become an official full-time business. Ted handled the business side of it while Ellen designed, carved, and painted.
Career breakthroughs
The family worked together eking out a subsistence, until Ellen completed the Totemland Pole for the Totemland Society (a promotional group for Vancouver) which served as a financial breakthrough. As a speaker in 1948 at the Conference on Native Indian Affairs, Ellen furthered her career and became an established artist. After the conference the Parks Board gave her a studio in Stanley ParkStanley Park
Stanley Park is a 404.9 hectare urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada....
where she established Totem Art Studios.
In 1949, Neel completed the restoration of several historic totems for the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. She traditionally dedicated a 16 foot-totem to the university in 1950, completing the foyer of a hotel. Soon her sons completed the bulk of carving while she painted production work of six-inch to 18-inch poles for the reliable tourist trade. Though the small poles were the family’s bread and butter Ellen was able to work on large artistically freeing totems such as the pole commissioned in 1953 for a museum in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
In 1955, Woodward's Department Store commissioned Neel to create five totem poles for an Edmonton shopping mall. These were returned to the coast in the 1980s, and Neel's son, Robert, restored on that would later stand in Stanley Park.
Children
The children became an integral part of the business developing skills and striking out on their own such as the Neel’s son, David. The Neels moved from Vancouver to South Burnaby, then White Rock, and finally Aldergrove, British ColumbiaAldergrove, British Columbia
Aldergrove is a small town within the jurisdiction of the The Township of Langley, a municipality within Greater Vancouver. Located at the southeastern edge of both Langley and Greater Vancouver, and nearby to the metropolitan area of Abbotsford, British Columbia just east, Aldergrove has a...
. The children began their own lives, but would send back money as things were beginning to get hard for the Neels. Their son John stayed with them and would help Ellen carve. Robert "Bob" Neel became a carver in his own right.
Death
By 1961 Ted and Ellen were consistently dealing with health problems. In September 1961 their son Dave died in a car crash. Then by 1965 the market was declining for Ellen. Everything was deteriorating quickly, and Ellen died in 1966.Legacy
Ellen played a crucial role in establishing Native arts as a viable way for Natives to support their communities and continue their heritage. In 1985 the UBC Museum of Anthropology erected one of the totem poles they had commissioned from Ellen Neel in Stanley Park, where it is still on display. The totem pole she donated to the University of British Columbia was recreated by master carvers and rededicated in 2004 with an elaborate ceremony presided over by the Kwakwaka'wakw Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation and Master of Ceremonies Edwin Newman.Ellen's grandson David Neel
David Neel
David Neel is a Canadian writer, photographer, and artist who is a member of the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation of coastal British Columbia.-Background:...
is a carver, jeweler, painter, photographer, and author active today in British Columbia.