Cherokee Chieftain Getting Spruced Up

  • Friday, May 25, 2018
A Cleveland icon is getting some special attention from the artist who sculpted it 45 years ago.

Peter Wolf Toth is in Cleveland to treat The Cherokee Chieftain, which he carved in 1973.

Toth has sculpted giant tributes to Native American Indians from wood or stone in each of the fifty states. Together, this series of artworks is called The Trail Of The Whispering Giants. 

Mr. Toth, whose studio is in Edgewater, Fl., 20 miles south of Daytona Beach, said he will be working in Cleveland for several weeks.
The city is planning a re-dedication ceremony sometime in June.

The Chieftain is a city symbol and is part of the Cleveland City Seal. It currently stands in front of The Museum Center at Five Points. Previously it was displayed before the Cleveland/Bradley Public Library History Branch (now renamed The Johnston-Tucker Center). It stood in Johnston Park for several years before being moved to the Museum Center.

Mr. Toth said his sculptures are a tribute to the human spirit and especially to indigenous people everywhere. In addition to the U.S., Mr. Toth has carved giant statues in Canada and Europe. He said he plans to do the same in the Amazon region in South America.

The city invited Mr. Toth to return to Cleveland earlier this spring to counter the effects of weather and age on the Chieftain. 

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