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Harbor History Museum working on repairs to Our Fisherman, Our Guardian

Harbor History Museum this week began repairs to the the city of Gig Harbor’s Our Fisherman, Our Guardian sculpture. The sculpture could be restored to its intended state within the next couple weeks.

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The sculpture was damaged in January. City officials believe someone climbing on the sculpture broke off one of two canoes affixed to the side of the artwork at Austin Park at txʷaalqəł Estuary. The sculpture, unveiled in 2022, was an effort by the city of Gig Harbor to honor the Puyallup Tribe people who originally inhabited the area.

Harbor History Museum shipright Riley Hall, left, and volunteer Duane Hahn repair the canoe that broke off the Our Fisherman, Our Guardian statue on Thursday, Sept. 19. Photo by Vince Dice

The sculpture has remained damaged since January, as the city struggled to make contact with artist Guy Capoeman. Capoeman, the president of the Quinault Nation on the Washington coast, is leading his peoples’ years-long efforts to move the Taholah Village out of a tsunami zone.

Gig Harbor City Administrator Katrina Knutson said in an email that the city still hasn’t been able to reach Capoeman.

Gig Harbor Mayor Tracie Markley directed city staff to begin repairs earlier this summer. Harbor History Museum, which has experienced restoration hands on its payroll and among its volunteers, offered to help.
The statue gazes out into the Harbor at the museum’s back door.

Harbor History Museum volunteer Duane Hahn, left, and shipright Riley Hall repair the canoe that broke off the Our Fisherman, Our Guardian statue on Thursday, Sept. 19. Photo by Vince Dice

“We’ve got people who do this for a living,” Harbor History Museum executive director Stephanie Lile said Thursday. “It made sense to have Riley (Hall, the museum’s shipwright) work on this.”

Glue, dowels and paint

Hall and museum volunteer Duane Hahn were at work Thursday. They had already glued broken pieces of the canoe back into place and were reinforcing the canoe with dowels. They are also touching up paint on both sides of the canoe.

Hall hopes to have the canoe back together by early next week. After that, they’ll need the city’s help to reattach it to the sculpture.

Knutson said that should happen within the next two weeks.

“We are so thankful for Riley’s (and the Museum’s) assistance in this important work,” Knutson said. “It really is helping us get the job done and correctly.”

Austin Park at txʷaalqəł Estuary was the historic home of the sx̌ʷəbabš band of the Puyallup Tribe.
The sculpture features a tribal fisherman holding a huge salmon, framed by canoes on both sides.

A crow flies over Our Fisherman, Our Guardian, at Austin Park in the txʷaalqəł Estuary on Aug. 8, 2024. Photo by Carolyn Bick