Ellen Neel (1916-1966) was an artist and carver from Alert Bay on Vancouver Island and the granddaughter of Yakuglas, Charlie James, a Kwakwaka’wakw carver who produced the house posts in Stanley Park. Neel moved to Vancouver with her husband in 1943, where they opened Totem Art Studios and later a workshop at Ferguson Point in Stanley Park. Neel is known as the first woman totem pole carver and was instrumental in helping to revitalize the carving tradition in the Kwakwaka’wakw community. Her artistic legacy continues for generations through her impact on countless Northwest Coast artists, including her own grandson David A. Neel and Kwakwaka’wakw carver and activist Beau Dick (1955-2017).