Chief Kno–Tah
Encyclopedia
Chief Kno-Tah is a wooden statue
located in Shute Park
in Hillsboro
in the U.S. state of Oregon
. Carved by Peter Wolf Toth
, it was the 56th Native American
head in his Trail of the Whispering Giants
series. The 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, 250000 lbs statue was the first of two carved by Toth in Oregon. Completed in 1987, the statue was named in honor of a chief of the local Tualatin Indians
.
to allow easy access for a large population to see the statue that would include features drawn from Chief Joseph
of the Nez Perce in northeastern Oregon. Part of his Trail of the Whispering Giants series, he carved a statue in each U.S. state with Oregon as the second to last state. Sculpting began that month on a log of Douglas fir, Oregon’s state tree. The 250000 lbs log was donated by Stimson Lumber Company and delivered free of charge by local companies.
On August 13, the partly carved log was lifted onto its base at the park along Tualatin Valley Highway
by J. L. Craigg Construction. Toth carved it by hand, except for the use of an electric sander. The statue was later treated with wood preservatives and fiberglass was applied to the top to protect against the elements.
On September 25, 1987, the sculpture was dedicated as Chief Kno-Tah in a ceremony featuring Native American singing and dancing. About 400 attended the ceremony on a day proclaimed as United American Indian Day by Hillsboro mayor Shirley Huffman
. City and county civic leaders as well as local Native American leaders spoke at the ceremony. Kno-Tah was the leader of the Tualatin band
of the Kalapuya group of Native Americans when that band signed a treaty with the government to cede their ancestral home on the Tualatin Plains
to pioneer settlers. Students at the Chemawa Indian School
in Salem, Oregon
, selected the name from submissions from local residents.
The 25 feet (7.6 m) tall statue was Toth’s 56th in his series of Native American heads. Toth donated the statue to the state as he did with each in the series. A plaque on the base was later added. After completing the statue, he carved a second Oregon one in Astoria
later that year to honor coastal tribes. Until 1996, a picture of the sculpture was used by the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce for their postcards. The image was replaced with a collage featuring the Old Scotch Church, a vineyard, and a high-tech clean room.
when he was 11. In 1971, he started sculpting while in California
, and a few years later began his series to carve a head of a Native American in each U.S. state. He completed that in 1988, and then moved on to Canada
. The city’s parks and recreation department owns the statue.
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
located in Shute Park
Shute Park (Oregon)
Shute Park is a municipal park in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Acquired in 1906, the park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library,...
in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Carved by Peter Wolf Toth
Peter Wolf Toth
Peter Wolf Toth is a Hungarian-born sculptor, who immigrated to the United States and settled in Akron, Ohio. He later studied art at the University of Akron. He created a series of sculptures called Trail of the Whispering Giants to honor Native Americans...
, it was the 56th Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
head in his Trail of the Whispering Giants
Trail of the Whispering Giants
The Trail of the Whispering Giants is a collection of sculptures by Hungarian-born artist Peter Wolf Toth. The sculptures range in height from , and are between in diameter. Currently there are 74 Whispering Giants, with at least one in each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as in Ontario and...
series. The 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, 250000 lbs statue was the first of two carved by Toth in Oregon. Completed in 1987, the statue was named in honor of a chief of the local Tualatin Indians
Atfalati
The Atfalati, also known as the Tualatin were a tribe or band of the Kalapuya Native Americans who originally inhabited the Tualatin Valley in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Oregon...
.
History
Toth selected Shute Park in Hillsboro for his first sculpture of a Native American head in Oregon in July 1987. Toth wanted a location in the Portland metropolitan areaPortland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
to allow easy access for a large population to see the statue that would include features drawn from Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
of the Nez Perce in northeastern Oregon. Part of his Trail of the Whispering Giants series, he carved a statue in each U.S. state with Oregon as the second to last state. Sculpting began that month on a log of Douglas fir, Oregon’s state tree. The 250000 lbs log was donated by Stimson Lumber Company and delivered free of charge by local companies.
On August 13, the partly carved log was lifted onto its base at the park along Tualatin Valley Highway
Tualatin Valley Highway
The Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29 is an Oregon highway which passes through the Tualatin Valley, between the cities of McMinnville and Beaverton...
by J. L. Craigg Construction. Toth carved it by hand, except for the use of an electric sander. The statue was later treated with wood preservatives and fiberglass was applied to the top to protect against the elements.
On September 25, 1987, the sculpture was dedicated as Chief Kno-Tah in a ceremony featuring Native American singing and dancing. About 400 attended the ceremony on a day proclaimed as United American Indian Day by Hillsboro mayor Shirley Huffman
Shirley Huffman
Shirley Todd Huffman is a former politician and legal secretary in the U.S. state of Oregon. Raised in Dayton, Oregon, she settled in Hillsboro, Oregon, where she served on the city council before serving two terms as mayor from 1985 to 1993...
. City and county civic leaders as well as local Native American leaders spoke at the ceremony. Kno-Tah was the leader of the Tualatin band
Atfalati
The Atfalati, also known as the Tualatin were a tribe or band of the Kalapuya Native Americans who originally inhabited the Tualatin Valley in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Oregon...
of the Kalapuya group of Native Americans when that band signed a treaty with the government to cede their ancestral home on the Tualatin Plains
Tualatin Plains
The Tualatin Plains are a prairie area in central Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located around the Hillsboro and Forest Grove areas, the plains were first inhabited by the Atfalati band of the Kalapuya group of Native Americans. Euro-American settlement began in the...
to pioneer settlers. Students at the Chemawa Indian School
Chemawa Indian School
Chemawa Indian School is a Native American boarding school in Salem, Oregon, United States. It was opened on February 25, 1880 as an elementary school, but as of 2005, served ninth through twelfth grades. It is sometimes referred to as Chemawa High School...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, selected the name from submissions from local residents.
The 25 feet (7.6 m) tall statue was Toth’s 56th in his series of Native American heads. Toth donated the statue to the state as he did with each in the series. A plaque on the base was later added. After completing the statue, he carved a second Oregon one in Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
later that year to honor coastal tribes. Until 1996, a picture of the sculpture was used by the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce for their postcards. The image was replaced with a collage featuring the Old Scotch Church, a vineyard, and a high-tech clean room.
Details
Chief Kno-Tah is made of Douglas fir and is 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, and 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter (19 cubic metres, 9.9 tonnes). The concrete base is 2 foot (0.6096 m) tall and 8 feet (2.4 m) in diameter. It is part of a series titled the Trail of the Whispering Giants. The figure features braided hair with feathers protruding from the back. The hand-carved statue is located in Shute Park along Tualatin Valley Highway in the south-central area of Hillsboro. Sculptor Peter Wolf Toth is a Hungarian born refugee whose family settled in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
when he was 11. In 1971, he started sculpting while in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and a few years later began his series to carve a head of a Native American in each U.S. state. He completed that in 1988, and then moved on to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The city’s parks and recreation department owns the statue.