World Art Utopia

Ikala Nawan (Whispering Giant)

Peter Wolf Toth’s Whispering Giant Ikala Nawan, a tall weathered cedar carving of a face with a tall headdress on a round stone base among trees in Astoria, Oregon
Artwork FileAstoria, Oregon, USA

Ikala Nawan (Whispering Giant)

SeenFeb 2022

Peter Wolf Toth · Astoria, Oregon, United States

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-50547 (public domain); from the SAU archive.

Ikala Nawan is Peter Wolf Toth’s 18-foot cedar Whispering Giant in Astoria, dedicated in December 1987 to the coastal tribes of the region. It is number 57 in his series of giant carved heads. Source Source Checked

Seen Feb 2022. Evidence date: 2022-02-10. The Daily Astorian describes the statue on the east side of the Astoria roundabout; this is dated reporting, not confirmation of present condition. Source Reported

💡 4 things to know

  1. A name with meaningRoadside America gives the name Ikala Nawan with the translation Man Who Fishes. Source Reported
  2. Number 57The Daily Astorian calls it No. 57 of Toth’s Whispering Giants. Source Checked
  3. For the coastal tribesThe plaque, photographed and transcribed by a local photo blog, says the statue honors the Clatsop, Chinook and all the Northwest Coastal Indians. Source Reported
  4. Carved from one logThe Daily Astorian says it was carved from a log over several months and dedicated in 1987. Source Checked

📍 Where it is

Taylor Avenue, east side of the Astoria roundabout · Astoria, Oregon, United States Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

Map pin is approximate; use the named site or address to locate the subject.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 2010Jan

    Local photo blog with the plaque

  2. 201821 May

    Carol M. Highsmith photograph

  3. 202210 Feb

    Daily Astorian on the statue

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Artist
Peter Wolf Toth Source Checked
Dedicated
December 1987 Source Checked
Series
Whispering Giants, no. 57 Source Checked
Material
Cedar Source Checked
Height
18 feet Source Checked
Meaning
Man Who Fishes Source Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-50547 (public domain); from the SAU archive.

Last checked: 27 October 2026 · How we verify art