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Totem Poles
A totem pole is a form of Native art. The Natives carvedanimals or humans on the wooden pole to pay respect to their guardian spirits with carvingsof powerful symbols. This form of art can convey many secrets and tell many stories. However, since many formsare carved into the pole, people can interpret the meaning of it depending on their perspective. It seems that the totem pole building tradition was unique to West Coast tribes (Wall).
A totem poleis the name given by Europeans to this wooden construction.Before contact, Natives used a completely different way to demonstrate their membership to their tribes and their identities. The totems essentially unite the tribe in representing their guardian spirit ancestors. Totem poles also served as emblems for clans and families. The totems were composed of different figures and animals that corresponded to the ancestor or to tell a story (Halpin 18).
Totem poles were usually built during potlatches, an important celebration where Natives dance, share food and give gifts, sometimes sharing all of what they own. The more someone could give, the more he becomes prestigious. In this ceremony, the carver will present his totem and ask the family to invoke their sprits that will now live within the totem. The stories related to this totem will also be displayed through the potlatch. Moreover, many totems were erected in honour of famous chiefs. Usually, totems were raised for three main reasons: to show the status of someone who had passed away, to iconize an ancestor and to symbolizethe generosity of an important potlatch’s sponsor(Kramer).
A totem conveys a lot of magic. Many stories are told by totems. Natives believe that once upon a time, special magic animals were living among humans and ordinary animals. These animals were powerful they could transform themselves from animal to human. Theyusuallypreferred to be human.The spiritsalways tried to educate people and sometimes performed a trick to bring them into the spirit world. These animals such as the beaver, the deer, the whale or the frogwere then carved into the wood in remembrance of the story.
There are many different kinds of totem poles. The more common ones are: House Posts a carved post that is supporting a house (Halpin 18); House Frontal Poles that are standing in front of the house and that usually contained the entrance(Halpin 20); Memorial Poles erected in honour of a deathly person by his heir(Halpin 20); Mortuary Poles that contain remains of the dead in a box included in the pole and Welcome Figures placed near water to greet newcomers (Halpin 23).
To be authentic, a totem needs to be sanctioned by the tribe. First, it needs to be carved by an initiated carver of the North West tribe and second, it needs to be blessed by elders who are part of the totem tradition (Kramer). Totem poles were usually carved with wood tools and it took long time to finishone. Today, carvers use chainsaws to facilitate their work.
Totem poles existed since a long time ago. They were produced since the 1700’s with the Natives’ acquisition of new metal tools given to them by the Europeans. Before that first contact, the totems existed but they were much smaller. They were approximately the size of a walking cane. It seems that totem poles as we know them today are quite a recent art; before contact Natives were carving boxes, masks and sticks. Furthermore, the totem art improved in size and in design trough all these years (Kramer).Totems look like a representation of the native world view. They understand the world as being circular and all beings are in relation, none is more important, than the others. By carving animals and humans all relating together, it symbolizes a certain harmony with the spirit world and with nature.
A totem is composed of many different kinds ofspirits. Thunderbird, the king of the sky,can become invisible and turn into the wind. It is often seen with its block- headed brother Kolus, who sometimes pretends to be Thunderbird. They are usually accompanied by thunder and lightning and followed by Eagles.
The Raven is a powerful trickster. It is always eager. Seen as unusual, obsessive and dishonest, it is feared by everyone. It can transform itself into a terrifying cannibal creature called Hok Hok who can pull your eyes out.
TheWhale, also known as Blackfish, lives with Copper Woman and Komogwa, the underwater sea kings. Whales hate Thunderbird because Thunderbird can pull them out of the water and eat them. Some Whales who tire of ocean life turn themselves into Wolves and go to live on earth. A Sea Wolf is an incomplete transformation of a Whale.
TheOctopus is an Alaskan totem.It is usually called a Devilfish. It could capture a man and drown him. Red was an attractive colour for them.
Other tribes from other countries make certain kinds of totem poles. However, they are usually a representation of their gods or of certain taboos and none of this has ever been part of North West coast tribe traditions.Therearefew of theoriginal totems that have been preserved; most of them, however have rotted or fallen.On the other hand, the preserved ones are conserved in a museum in British Colombia. Also, some totems remain in some villages of the West Coast preserved by the tribes (Halpin 25).
In conclusion, even if it is sometimesconsidered anold form of art by some people, totem pole carving is a very complex form of art. Totems are also mystic in that they convey a power toodifficult to understand by Non-Natives. All of these animals carved in the wood allow for Natives to be in contact with all the nature spirits.
By Stephanie Roy
Work cited
Halpin, Marjorie M. Totem Poles: An Illustrated Guide. Vancouver: University of
British Colombia, 1981.
Kramer, Pat. “Totem Pole.”Internet.
Available:
Macdonald, George F. The Totem Pole and Monument of Gitwangak Village.
Ottawa: Parks Canada Publication, 1984.
Wall. Sarah. “Totem Poles, Teepees and Token Tradition: ‛ Playing Indian’ In
Summer, 1920-1955.”Canadian Historical Review September25, Vol. 86, Issue 3, p513-544.