Artworks

DON YEOMANS

The Stanford Legacy Pole, 2002

Stanford University, Stanford, CA

In 2002, Don Yeomans carved a 40-ft pole for Stanford University. This pole was commissioned to commemorate the Stanford Legacy, similar to the way that Haida poles traditionally communicated the histories of their owners. It chronicles the early death in 1884 of the sole Stanford heir. At the top of the pole Raven is depicted with another small human between his ears. This figure was included as a memorial to the sole Stanford child. Raven is shown in communication with Frog, with their tongues connecting, which can be understood to reference Raven's ability to communicate with both the supernatural and natural realms. In this case, Raven specifically links the deceased with the living.