Alver Tait

CULTURAL GROUP:
Nisga'a

BORN:
September 5, 1943

BIRTHPLACE:
New Aiyansh, BC

Alver Tait is a Hereditary Chief of the Eagle-Beaver Clan amongst the Nisga'a peoples. The Tait family is very talented, and Alver's brothers, Norman and Robert, are also celebrated artists. While Alver is known as a cultural leader and diverse artist, he is probably best known for his totem poles, which can be found throughout the Nass Valley, BC, and around the world. In 1982, Alver and Norman completed a Beaver totem pole for the Field Museum in Chicago, IL. In 2002, Alver was commissioned to carve a 12-meter pole for the 250th Anniversary of Vienna's Schoenbrunn Tiergarten, the world's oldest zoo. In 2006, Alver received the Order of British Columbia for both his longstanding leadership and his masterly carving.