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Sep 9, 2024 · Totem pole, carved and painted log, mounted vertically, constructed by the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast of the United States and Canada. There are seven principal kinds of totem poles: memorial poles, grave markers, house posts, portal poles, welcoming poles, mortuary poles, and ridicule poles.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Totem poles are the largest, but not the only, objects that coastal Pacific Northwest natives use to depict spiritual reverence, family legends, sacred beings and culturally important animals, people, or historical events.
After thriving for centuries, totem traditions dwindled in the late 1800s under cultural suppression. But the native people never lost their connection to the poles and the heritage they represented. Though many vintage poles were lost, the powerful stories persisted in oral histories.
Nov 27, 2023 · Tribal leaders would order a pole to be carved for six main reasons: Family poles: Carved to display family lineage, the tribal history, and the social standing of the Native American family. Shame poles: Targeted those who failed in some way, whether it was to repay a debt, or because of some unpleasant action on their part.
Nov 10, 2021 · Six nations in western North America created the original totem poles: Haida; Nuxalt; Kwakwaka'wakw; Tlingit; Tsimshian; Coast Salish; The most common animals to see carved into a totem pole are the eagle, raven, bear, thunderbird, wolf, killer whale, frog, and beaver. Poles were carved using stones, seashells, bones, and beaver teeth.
Jul 15, 2021 · From CNN, July 11, 2021: Indigenous people are trekking across the US with a 25-foot totem pole. Here’s why. For the House of Tears Carvers, totem poles are more than masterful works of art — they’re a medium for storytelling, for raising consciousness, for healing.
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Totem pole. Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved on poles, posts, or pillars with symbols or figures made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.
