Historic Potlatch Figure, 1928
by Mike Kadanaha (b. 1833), Tlingit
red cedar, natural black pigment
14" tall x 4.5" wide x 2.25" deep
mint condition, signed on bottom of figure
Chief Mike Kadanaha (Kudeinahaa) of the Killer Whale House, Chief of the Eagle Tribe, was born in 1833. His wife was renouned Chilkat Blanket weaver Maggie Kadanaha (1873-1957). They lived in Fort Seward, Haines, and Skagway Alaska during their lifetime. Later in life Mike Kadanaha taught Native Arts at the Sheldon Jackson College.
An article written in 2008, describes how the Klukwan Kaagwaantaan Clan Leader Kudeinahaa (Mike Kadanaha) had been photographed in a woven Chilkat tunic with a Brown Bear design. This tunic was subsequently returned to the Klukwan community in 2005 through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
