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Harvey Brooks’ thesis: Repatriation of a Tsimshian Canoe currently held in a New York Museum (AMNH)	Argues the famous canoe is not Haida; nor Heiltsuk – but built in Gitzaxtaat territory
	And belonged to his great grandfather: Nisho’ot or Harry Brooks

Nisho’ots Canoe??

Map left is from Brooks’ presentation at Tsimshian Tribal Council Annual meeting 2002

Gitzaxtaat Territory consists of Ecstall watershed and Dundas Island group as on map (note “Gitzaxtaat” is often spelled Gitzaxlaal)

The Dundas group archeologically shows signs of Tlingit like influences in past which fits right in with Brooks’ thesis as he argues from comparing with a very similar Tlingit canoe that AMNH one shows Tlingit origins --- as were Gitzaxtaat ancestors

Gitzaxtaat have only 3 crests

	AMNH Canoe has 3 crests
	This is a Blackfish (killer whale) on bow Perhaps drawn by Captain Carpenter of Bella Bella Brooks’ compares design with very similar Tlingit one

	Raven Crest
	While not obvious in this image the raven (on stern of canoe) has talon like feet—another Tlingit suggestion for Brooks

	Wolf Crest fastened on bow
	Again Brooks sees allusions to Tlingit designs. Thus crests on canoe are those of his Grandfather and the Gitzaxtaat The canoe was sold in 1883 , just before the potlatch was made illegal which might explain how this canoe was obtained so “cheaply”. Harvey Brooks told me that he was soon off to the American Museum of Natural history to make his case for “repatriation” of Nisho’ots Canoe.

The AMNH Canoe is Famous

I used to go to the AMNH

For me one of my most enduring memories of trips to AMNH was the long canoe suspended form the ceiling of stairwell – little did I know I would someday live where it had once been. The Jonaitis’ -- book captures the museum’s magic and it’s NW coastal peoples collection (Canoe crest images taken from this work) (AMNH no longer has the canoe on its web site but here is map showing its location at 77^th St entrance)