Toward the base of this totem pole model (directly under the Smithsonian catalogue number), is the word/name "Ebits" (the S is backwards). This name is probably a reference to the Tlingit man named Chief Ebbets (a.k.a. Ebbetts, Ebitts ... ) (1780 - 1880) and his wife Aanseet (Chief of All Women) (1800-1870). This model pole resembles the full size Tongass pole, carved circa 1870 to honor Aanseet, and taken from Tongass in 1899 and erected in Pioneer Square in Seattle. (For information on the pole in Seattle see http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/loc/id/1357; http://www.litsite.org/index.cfm?section=Digital-Archives&page=People-of-the-North&cat=Native-Lives-and-Traditions&viewpost=2&ContentId=2659; and Robin K. Wright: Totem Poles: Heraldic Columns of the Northwest Coast, http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/wright.html ).

From card: "Old Kasaan, east coast, Prince of Wales Id., s.e. Alaska. Stood in front of "furthest forward house," K!atE-nE (K!at-nes, " front house") owner, Nesteu or Nastao, erected c. 1877. Totems from top down: two cloud-hatted watchers of high rank; head of bearded man, Nenki'lslas "Great One in the Sea"; eagle; killerwhale woman, with labret, tail turns up in front of pole; killerwhale, the face between his ears said to be his fin (informant Fannie Jones called this a shark "k!at, not the killerwhale). Literature: M. Barbeau: "Totem Poles, vol. II, p. 575. A.P. Niblack "The Coast Indians ... Rept. U.S.N.M., 1888. 6/12/68 - Many additional views of this specimen in the field are available in the SOA Archives [National Anthropological Archives]. GP"Catalogue card lists a number of (old) black and white photo negative numbers for this artifact, however as of 2019 Smithsonian Institution Archives Photo Services could not locate any of these negatives in their files, and the Department of Anthropology does not have any prints made from these negatives in their files.

FROM CARD: "REPAIRED AND PARTIALLY RESTORED IN 1969. THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS THE CORRECT SPECIMEN FOR THIS CAT.#. OLD PHOTOS OF THE PHILA. EXPO. OF 1876 SHOW THIS HOUSE MODEL W/ENTRANCE POLE AND CEDAR BARK ROOF ON DISPLAY. TYPOLOGICALLY THIS HOUSE SEEMS MORE HAIDA LIKE AND ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERING THE ENTRANCE POLE. INDIVIDUAL PARTS LETTERED A-F. 6/11/69 GP." PHOTO NEG. #6251 IS PHOTO OF TOTEM POLE MODEL ONLY. ON BACK OF TOTEM POLE MODEL/HOUSE FRONTAL POLE IS COLLECTOR'S PENCILLED DESCRIPTION WHICH APPEARS TO SAY: "LOWER FIGURE WASKO WOLF WITH YOUNG WOLF IN ITS MOUTH. 4 HUMAN FIGURES DOCTOR'S GUARDIAN IMAGES. UPPER FIGURE HOORTS - BEAR AND SUMMATION IS THE KOOT OR FISH EAGLE" - F. PICKERING 6-29-1999Per Robin Wright, Burke Museum, University of Washington, 4-12-2012, the house model is probably Tsimshian, based on the painting. In 2018, Robin Wright added: The model house does indeed look to be Tsimshian in style. But now that I'm looking closely at the pole that is associated with this number, the pole does not lookTsimshian, and in fact looks to be another version of the Haida flood pole. It is based on one of the 3 Haida flood poles, It depicts the story of the flood with a stack of hat rings. Raven rescued the village during a flood by pulling up on the chief's hat rings making it grow tall enough for the people to climb up out of the flood waters.A photo of what appears to be this house model on display at the Smithsonian circa 1879 (photo may actually date more specifically to 1882 - early 1885) is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives: Photo ID 2962 or MNH-2962, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 41, Folder: 4, https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8263 . House model is on back left of photo in front of house front.

From card: "Bear, raven, and hawk motifs."

From card: "Carved slate [argillite]; on base."March 3, 2011, Robin K. Wright, Burke Museum, attributes to Haida artist Charles Edenshaw.

From card: "Bear, man, dog fish, and fishhawk motifs."