Kwakiutl, cedar totem sculpture in Chinguacousy Park, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Kwakiutl is a 9-foot-tall cedar wood sculpture by Cowichan Tribes artist Simon Charlie, depicting a nearly naked Aboriginal man wearing a wide-brimmed Kwakwaka'wakw hat and a cape, with arms outstretched and exposed male genitals. It stands in the greenhouse in Chinguacousy Park, Brampton.
A Cowichan Tribes artist created this sculpture in 1972 for Chinguacousy Township. The work was relocated multiple times over the following decades and now stands in Chinguacousy Park.
The sculpture's name refers to the Kwakwaka'wakw, a Pacific Northwest coast people, though its carver Simon Charlie belonged to the Cowichan Tribes of the Coast Salish. The figure wears a wide-brimmed Kwakwaka'wakw hat and a cape. Former mayor Peter Robertson noted that such figures were turned forward to welcome visiting tribes and backward to discourage them.
The sculpture now stands inside the Chinguacousy Park greenhouse, not outdoors, so look for it there rather than at the park entrance. It was bolted to a 1.5-metre tree stump when moved to the park in 1993, and a 2021 conservation report recommended relocating it for long-term preservation.
The sculpture sparked local discussion when first revealed because of its realistic portrayal. This response led to the artwork being moved several times to different locations around Brampton.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,634 contributors worldwide.