Chief Kno-Tah, Native American wooden monument in Shute Park, Hillsboro, United States
Chief Kno-Tah was a 25-foot (7.6 m) wooden sculpture of a Native American head carved from a single Douglas fir log 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter. It stood on a concrete base 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and 8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter. The figure had braided hair with feathers protruding from the back.
The sculpture was created in 1987 by artist Peter Wolf Toth as part of his Trail of Whispering Giants series honoring Native American leaders across North America. It commemorated Chief Kno-Tah, who signed a land treaty in 1855 that transferred Tualatin ancestral territory to settlers moving to the region.
Students at the Chemawa Indian School in Salem chose the name Kno-Tah from submissions by local residents. The September 25, 1987 dedication drew about 400 people and featured Native American singing and dancing, on a day Hillsboro mayor Shirley Huffman proclaimed United American Indian Day.
The monument was removed from the park in 2017 following storm damage and safety concerns from falling branches. The original site in Shute Park remains accessible to those visiting the area.
The 250,000-pound log was donated by Stimson Lumber Company and delivered free by local firms; J. L. Craigg Construction lifted the partly carved trunk onto its base on August 13, 1987. Toth worked by hand except for an electric sander, and fiberglass was applied to the top for weather protection. A plaque was later added to the concrete base.
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