David is a Tsimshian boy whose pride in his father's artistry as a wood-carver and creator of a new totem pole provides the focus for a 10" x 10" first-person narrative. The history and culture of David's paternal elders, the Eagle Clan from Metlakatla on Alaska's Annette Island, are described and shown in full-color photographs, as is a brief background of the Klallam Indians of the Northwest Coast. Written and visual explanations detail the steps David's father takes to find a straight, tall cedar tree and carve the Klallam Thunderbird, Raven, Whale, Bear and other symbolic images into its trunk. The community's involvement in raising and celebrating the pole's placement on the Klallam Reservation is also pictured. David's maternal ancestors emigrated to the U.S.A. from Europe generations ago. The boy's Tsimshian heritage and Eagle Clan membership are interpreted in several ways, including the one-page retelling of the "Legend of the Eagle and the Young Child." A glossary concludes this unusual and absorbing photo documentary account. (Ages 5-10)

A Tsimshian Indian boy proudly describes how his father carved a totem pole for the Klallam tribe and the subsequent ceremonial celebration.