For many of us , the thought of totem magnetic pole conjures up images of sacred ritual and mysterious ceremonies . In reality , the ideas that many hoi polloi hold regarding these constitutive whole kit ofartcouldn’t be further from the truth . Rather than objects of worship or ritual , totem pole are – in dim-witted terms – really tall , wooden family histories .
Alaska Image Gallery
No one knows for certain when the first totem poles were created [ source : Smithsonian ] . What we do have sex is that they commence as an artistic expression of American Indians on the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America . Many historiographer consider that totem grow within theHaidatribe , which populate in southeastern Alaska . Tribes in the northerly portion of Washington state and coastal British Columbia followed suit .
Archaeologistsalso believe that , while totem poles as we know them today did n’t start being chip at until the late 1700s , the same images and report that they show subsist for hundreds ( or possibly thousands ) of class on smaller objects , like combs and mask . Totem terminal became much more vulgar after Europeans came to the New World . When European settler first laid eyes on totem pole in the 1700s , they were a picayune scared . Since totem were nothing like they ’d ever picture before , the settlers could only guess what these strange object were for . This gave upgrade to many myth about totem pole . British skipper James Cook described them as " sincerely monstrous figures " [ reference : NPR ] .
But Europeans actually take about an addition in totem production . They brought advanced metallic element creature with them that made it much easier for American Indian carvers to practice their prowess on big pieces of wood . Thus , totems grew from the size of a walking cane to the hulk works of art that we have come to eff and enjoy . Interestingly enough , Europeans even trail the art form with the name " totem poles . "
What do the symbols on totem terminal intend ? How long does it take to make a totem pole ? And why does a custom - made totem cost well-nigh as much as a young car ?
Totem Pole Basics
The totem perch ’s main purpose is to tell a story with symbols , typically animals and people . The story ordinarily detail the history and wealth of the family that commissioned it .
Traditionally , totem poles have been used to immortalise special event . Moneywas ( and still is ) a big factor in creating a totem – they postulate month to make and only the very wealthy could yield them . During the totem instauration process , the pass carver often survive with the boniface family , sometimes for several month . A head carver managed two or more junior carvers during the process . The promontory carver was take for in high respect , and the head of the legion family was responsible for making sure that he was prosperous , happy and entertained during his stay . If his needs were n’t satisfied – or if he did n’t finger well-thought-of – the carver could habituate his power to stymie the pole ’s commissioner . For case , the statue maker could portray him nude on the totem celestial pole for all to see .
Totem poles can range in size of it from as brusque as one groundwork to well over a hundred feet grandiloquent , although shorter pole are more mutual . Authentic totem magnetic pole are made from red or yellow cedar and are n’t carved withchain sawsor other power tool . Totems are often paint , although they do n’t have to be . Traditional colors admit black , bloodless , red , scandalmongering and blue - unripe . According to Steve Benson , totem George Washington Carver and Chief Executive of the Wood Age , a 20 - foot rod can take four to six weeks to make . The process takes even longer if the pole is carve without power putz or chainsaws , as so many of the bona fide totems are .
Because totem poles are wooden , they ’re constituent work of art . A totem rod is generally expect to last about a hundred years . It is n’t realistic to require a wooden creative activity to survive nature ’s harsh element for much longer than that . Some people choose to treat the wood by waterproofing or staining it . Most totem artisans gibe that truly unquestionable pole have no excess preservatives applied to them . If an artist repair a decaying pole , the ceremonialpole raisingmust be done again .
Not just anyone can make a unfeignedly authentic totem rod . A totem must meet the following standards to be weigh 100 percent authentic :
The nurture ceremonial occasion is a very important result . Hundreds of people gather for the celebration . After a gob is dug for the totem celestial pole , it is acquit to the web site . rophy are attached to the pole , and several citizenry pull it into place . Onlookers dance and sing as the terminal is raised and blessed .
Even today , once an veritable totem terminal is completed , the nurture and allegiance ceremonies are followed bypotlatch , a Brobdingnagian political party befuddle by the totem pole ’s commissioner , typically in the wintertime . Each attendee obtain a endowment from the legion , with the understanding that he or she will one twenty-four hour period turn back the party favour . The potlatch serves to increase the commissioner ’s social reputation because the totem swear out as a reminder of the fantastic party that he threw .
Cracking the Code: Totem Pole Symbolism
As we ’ve learned , totem poles portray an array of animal and human cutting . Some characterisation are more plebeian than others , including the thunderbird , eagle and grizzly bear . These American Indian symbols derive from one of three kingdoms : sky , earthor underwater . democratic belief holds that many animal could metamorphose into other beings – or even into humans .
American Indians sometimes used these animals to represent an ancestor that they believed possessed this transformative ability . Or , they included a special animal only because they had play it in some meaningful way of life in their lives . A small sampling of these animals and their emblematical rendition include :
bird of Jove : Many believe the eagle to be the most useful fauna because it can fly higher than other birds . The eagle is considered extremely healthy and is capable to spot problem in advance by soar gamey in the sky .
Thunderbird : This is a mythological creature with the superpower to createlightningwith the blink of its eye and thunder by beating its wings . The thunderbird can also be unseeable and make violent blow of wind .
Bear : The bear is believed to teach indigen to forage for berries and hunting wild salmon . The bear also total to their aid in struggle .
Owl : This snort represent the souls of the deceased .
Wolf : The wolf is turn over very potent . It also represents those who take tutelage of the sick and impoverished .
Raven : One of the most normally used symbolisation in Alaska , along with wolf , the Corvus corax is well - care for his trickery . Despite being perceived as corrupt and athirst , the raven is the theme of more than 90 story .
Frog : The frog is believed to bring wealthiness and bully hazard .
Types of Totem Poles
Totem poles can be made to fill up a mixture of needs , but their primary purpose is to mark a person or event . Some of the most vulgar case of totems areentryway totem pole . These are placed at the entranceway of a home to serve as a coating of arms of sorts . Entryway totems mainly wait on to honour antecedent , make the family or clan ’s societal and economic standing known , broadcast family accomplishments or detail a spiritual event .
On a more genuine level , mortuary poleshonor the dead by hold departed ancestors ' remains . Mortuary pole are like urns – they incorporate a dental caries that holds a deceased person ’s ash .
Ridicule poles , also calledshamepoles , are used to elicit public embarrassment , normally for unpaid debts . Shame pole are n’t raise very much anymore , mostly because American Indians reach for solidarity , rather than fighting amongst each other . One famous shame terminal is theLincoln Pole , locate in Saxman , Alaska . The United States governing was the quarry of this pole . When the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted in 1863 , many hard worker own by the Tlingit tribe were freed . The tribe think the United States authorities should repay them for their expiration .
Other totem poles are substantial because they break some kind of record . Totem Carver have a lot of superbia in their work , and making a track record - breaking totem pole can be a pretty competitive endeavor .
It seems obvious that to measure the tall totem celestial pole in the universe , all you ’d need to do is split up out a tape beat , right ? Not exactly . Alert Bay , British Columbia , swash a 173 - metrical unit tall totem . Detractors point out that because it ’s made from three freestanding piece of wood , it does n’t depend as an authentic totem .
Other tall contenders let in a 132 - foot totem in Kake , Alaska . It was sanctioned properly and leave out an American Amerind reserve . But it ’s challenged by a 140 - foot masterpiece in Kalama , Wash. The only problem with this purple piece of art is that it was n’t carve by an American Indian . But some take a firm stand that it merits the honor of tallest because its sculpturer is extremely respected among totem craftsman . Other town have claimed that they have the tallest totem , but the arguing has never been settled .
The dispute over the world ’s tallest totem has caused so much strife that one totem pole in Victoria , British Columbia , was torn down in 2000 . Despite its status as the tallest in the reality , according to the Guinness Book of World Records , the contention was causing the Ithiel Town and creative person a lot of grief . The totem was 185 foot improbable and stand for eight years before it was toppled and chop into art object .
do much less controversy is the wooden-headed totem pole . That honour goes to a totem cut up in Duncan , British Columbia , by Richard Hunt in 1988 . It boasts a diameter of more than 6 feet .
Another special totem title is older . This honour is divvy up among a couple of poles located on the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia . These totems date back to at least the eighties , perhaps even the 1840s . They wo n’t be around much longer , however – they ’re quickly deteriorating , thanks to the rainy climate [ source : Totem - Pole.net ] .
The Decline and Resurgence of Totem Poles
About a hundred years ago , the totem carving art form began to turn down due to a couple of factors , include :
In the other twentieth hundred , totem poles were stolen from their web site on reservations for private or museum use . As a answer , production nearly ceased . Very few totem poles were raised between 1910 and 1950 . A grassroots effort of both native and non - aboriginal artist and scholars resurrected the art configuration , as well as the traditions that accompany the fostering of a totem pole .
Today , totem are being carved and raised with a expectant resurgence . Thanks in large part to the efforts of their artists and scholarly supporters , theNative American Graves Protection and Repatriation Actwas sign into practice of law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush . This law of nature required museums and others in possession of improperly obtained totem poles , human remains and other American Amerindic artifact to return them to their rightful owners .
It ’s totally possible that totem pole yield could have been extinguished had no one intervene to save the art configuration . But totem cutting is a thriving artistic creation configuration once again , due to the efforts of those creative person who recognized totems ' importance in American Indian and North American chronicle .
