The article is from a taped conversation with the editor of CCI Journal. Davidson explains how he came to carve a totem pole for the villagers of Masset in 1969. He tells of his artistic development through apprenticeship with Bill Reid, and of his subsequent study of Haida museum objects awakening an interest in his ancestry and in reviving traditional skills. Attempting to save a dying art, his great grandfather had carved pieces which he sold to non-Indians and to museums around the world. Turmoil, religious conflicts and epidemics contributed to the culture's demise. Language also died after a whole generation of children, including his parents, were transported 500 miles from their homes, and forbidden to speak their own language. After seeing the old people of Masset at a prayer meeting, Davidson carved a totem pole for them to give them a visible image. He refutes criticisms that he exploited the art form, explaining that his initial interest in the technique and tradition behind it led to innovations, once he had matched abilities of his ancestors. He feels that some articles should be left in situ, while modern forms of the art should be represented in museums. (Photographs are included.)