5' Talking Stick created by Kwak'waka;wakw master carver Lawrence Scow. On top an Eagle above the handle. Then a Raven above a Killer Whale. On the lower section are are copper shields with crest designs - Thunderbird, Raven and Sisiutl.
The Talking Stick, or Speaker’s Staff is intricately carved with crests that illustrate the speakers ancestry and history. A talking sticks is held by a Chief or his representative at a potlatch or another ceremony or meeting. Holding the staff is a symbol of hereditary authority which commands respect and attention, and bestows 'the right of the floor'.
It may look like a totem pole and it may be thought of as alive, carrying spiritual power. It can be used in traditional legal proceedings. In some traditions the speaker may thump the staff on the ground to emphasize a point or to indicate the beginning or end of a proclamation.
