Chief Kno-Tah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chief Kno-Tah |
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The sculpture in 2010
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| Artist | Peter Wolf Toth |
| Year | 1987 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Wood |
| Dimensions | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States |
| 45°30′47″N 122°58′27″W / 45.51306°N 122.97417°W | |
Chief Kno-Tah was a large wooden statue that stood in Shute Park in Hillsboro, Oregon. A famous artist named Peter Wolf Toth carved it. This statue was the 56th Native American head in his special art project called Trail of the Whispering Giants.
The statue was about 25-foot (7.6 m) tall and weighed around 250,000-pound (110,000 kg). It was the first of two statues Toth carved in Oregon. The artist finished it in 1987. The statue was named to honor a leader of the local Tualatin Indians. Sadly, in 2017, a big windstorm damaged the statue. It could not be fixed and was removed in June 2017.
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The Story of Chief Kno-Tah
In July 1987, Peter Wolf Toth chose Shute Park in Hillsboro for his first Native American sculpture in Oregon. He wanted a place in the Portland area. This way, many people could easily see his art. He planned for the statue to include features from Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe. This tribe lived in northeastern Oregon.
Toth's Trail of the Whispering Giants project aimed to carve a statue in every U.S. state. Oregon was almost the last state on his list. He started carving that same month. He used a huge log from a Douglas fir tree. The Douglas fir is Oregon's state tree. This giant log weighed about 250,000-pound (110,000 kg). A company called Stimson Lumber Company donated the log. Local companies helped deliver it for free.
How the Statue Was Made
On August 13, the partly carved log was moved. A construction company lifted it onto its base in the park. The park is located along Tualatin Valley Highway. Toth carved the statue mostly by hand. He only used an electric sander for some parts. After carving, the statue was treated with special wood protectors. Fiberglass was added to the top to keep it safe from bad weather.
The Dedication Ceremony
On September 25, 1987, the sculpture was officially named Chief Kno-Tah. A special ceremony took place with Native American singing and dancing. About 400 people came to the event. Hillsboro's mayor, Shirley Huffman, declared that day "United American Indian Day." Leaders from the city, county, and local Native American communities spoke at the ceremony.
Kno-Tah was a leader of the Tualatin band. This group was part of the Kalapuya people. In 1855, Chief Kno-Tah signed a treaty with the government. This treaty gave their homeland on the Tualatin Plains to settlers. Students at the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon, chose the name "Kno-Tah." They picked it from ideas sent in by local people.
After the Carving
The 25-foot (7.6 m) tall statue was Toth's 56th Native American head. Toth gave the statue to the state as a gift. He did this for every statue in his series. Later, a plaque was added to the base of the statue. After finishing the Hillsboro statue, Toth carved a second one in Oregon. This second statue was in Astoria later that year. It honored the coastal tribes.
For many years, a picture of the Chief Kno-Tah sculpture was used. The Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce put it on their postcards until 1996.
Damage and Removal
In February 2017, a strong windstorm caused damage. A tree next to the statue blew over and hit it. The top of the statue was broken off. The whole statue also started to lean. On June 15, 2017, officials decided the leaning statue was unsafe. It was removed because it could not be repaired.
What Chief Kno-Tah Looked Like
Chief Kno-Tah was carved from a Douglas fir tree. It stood 25 feet (7.6 m) tall. The statue was about 6 feet (1.8 m) wide. Its concrete base was 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and 8 feet (2.4 m) wide. The sculpture showed braided hair with feathers sticking out from the back.
Images for kids
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The sculpture in 2010
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Front of the sculpture along with city park sign
