Totem Poles: A Symbol of Pacific Northwest Tribes

In the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and Southeast Alaska there are 6 styles of carved art. The most well commonly known art form is known as Totem poles also known as “story-telling poles.” Totem poles are tall poles carved from red cedar tree logs that represent the mythology and beliefs of tribes. The most well-known tribes who created totems along the coast are the Haida and Tlingit tribes. The carvings may include animals, plants, ancestor or mythological creatures.

The Hadia tribe is located in British Columbia; which the largest group can be found in Ninstints Village. Their totem poles are known for their prosperous detail and exclusive style. Haida had four primary figures which include Orca, Bear, Frog, and Raven. The animals

are considered more perceptive than a human and can convert into human form. Reincarnation is something the Haida people still believe in. Haida created funeral poles for their chiefs after several days of lying in their home they would then be transferred to a grave yard once their totem was completed they would be placed into a small wooden box and placed in the very top of the burial totem which will show one man’s compelling events in his life on his totem post. The totem will then be presented at a potlach and food, music, gifts and dances will be present. Each figure on the totem has a special meaning rather it being imaginary or real. The malformed faces and distort body positions imply a spirt world beyond human belief. They are also notorious for totem poles as house front poles, memorial poles, and mortuary columns. The colors typically used in Haida totem poles are black, red and blue-green. The meaning of the colors are listed below
Black- Power and Strength
Red- Blood, was and bravery
Blue- Rivers, Oceans lake, and sky “Sincerity and happiness”
Green- Nature

The Tlingit tribe which is very similar to Haida tribe is located in Southeast Alaska.

They also use the Northern style which uses the color scheme red, black, and blue-green “turquoise.” Tlingit people carved interior house post, Portal entrance and totem poles. These figures have animals, sea creatures, and birds. They combined realism and symbolism in there art work. The Tlingit tribe is separated into two moieties raven and eagle then are put in several different clan. These clans have crest that represent their clan embedded on their totems. When creating totem poles they follow a stylistic rule to be able to easily identify. For example the ravens must have straight beaks and eagles will have curved beaks. One of the greatest things Tlingit tribe is known for is their potlach ceremonies. Potlach’s consist of music, dancing, gifts and a feast. They are typically celebrated when a totem is raised, or celebration of a death lasting for an estimated of 4

day.

One of the very interesting mythological stories that illustrates their views in creations begins as follows.

The Raven also known as the “tricksters” story began when he discovered an old rich man named Naas-shaki; who had a box containing the sun, moon and stars “the light” which the raven wanted to steal from him after many unsuccessful attempts the raven decided to transform himself into a hemlock needle and dropped into the water his daughter had been drinking from the river. She then became pregnant and gave birth to the Raven as a baby boy. The grandfather began to spoil him and give him whatever he desired. The raven began to cry over the box on the shelf continuously after telling his grandchild no. Days later he gave in and allowed him to play with the stars, as he was playing with the stars rolling the box on the floor back and forth he then allowed them to roll up the smoke whole and into the sky. The following day he began to cry again until he received the box with the moon he was then given the box as well and began to roll it back and forth across the floor and up the chimney into the sky. The final day he cried and cried until the box was given to him with the sun but this time he did not roll it up the chimney. He began to play and waited for everyone to sleep he then turned into a bird and gathered the box in his beak and goes up the chimney not releasing it into the sky he had taken it to show off that he has captured the sun from the rich man and when he

had open the box the sun is then released into the sky.