The Knowledge Totem Pole was carved by Cicero August, a Coast Salish artist from Duncan, and his sons, Darrell and Doug August. It was raised on February 2, 1990, during the Commonwealth Games held in Auckland, New Zealand. The pole was made to welcome visitors to Victoria for the next games in 1994.
The pole refers to the oral traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the northwest coast. Mr. August had the opportunity to explain the symbolism of the Knowledge Pole to Queen Elizabeth II during the royal tour of 1994.
The top figure, the loon, represents "the teacher of the speakers" as well as an interpreter of all the Indigenous languages spoken. The fisher represents the traditional way of life of coastal Indigenous peoples. Below the fisher is the bone player, who represents a non-verbal game that can be played by people who do not share the same language. The bottom figure, the frog, is from an old mountain story and also symbolizes a tear.
In August of 2007, Doug August Sr. (who is also known by his Hul'qumi'num name, Sume'lh) and his two sons Matthew Louie and Doug August Jr. performed the first restoration of the pole since its creation. This was done without lowering the totem.
In 2021, the Knowledge Totem Pole was refurbished in a process supervised by cousins Doug August Jr. and Derrick Peter. The refurbishment involved lowering the Totem onto its side, replacing any rotted wood, sealing cracks in the wood, removing the faded paint and then repainting it, all before raising the Totem once again. Several small changes to the figures were also made to enhance their unique features. For example, spots were added to the loon to make it look more distinctive, and a handle was added to the fisher's spear to make it a more authentic depiction. The refurbishing process was supported by Doug Jr.'s son, Ryan August, and his daughter-in-law, Tiffany Wilson.
A ceremony to raise the refurbished Knowledge Totem Pole was held on September 10, 2021.
