Others commemorated wars, love, or great events, or even ranted against a rival! But many of them told the history and legends of the tribe. The structures can be found both indoors and outdoors, with some of the largest ones set up outside in remembrance of departed chiefs or of a family’s line of ancestors. The colors were vibrant, and of course all came from natural sources, making them rare and costly in time to produce. Cedar is common in the Pacific Northwest and is sturdy enough to withstand wind, rain, and time. Totem poles were made from red cedar timber. This is why depictions of animals were carved into totem poles: the Native Americans were telling a story as well as paying homage to their ancestry. The word “totem” comes from the Okibwa tribe’s “totemism”-the belief that sacred or supernatural animals were the forebears of humans. The portrayal of traditional legends can even be seen in the name. This isn’t too surprising, as many of the tall structures still exist and capture peoples’ imaginations. These large art pieces have come to represent an important facet of Native American culture. Only those who lived in areas with trees which were at least dozens of feet tall even had the opportunity.
Though totem poles are now a common symbol of Native American culture, only some tribes actually produced them, including the Haida, the Tlingit, and the Coast Salish tribes. The spirits are shown as people, mythical beasts, and treasured wildlife-often the bald eagle, grizzly bear, moose, beaver, otter, mountain goat, wolf, whale, porpoise, seal, sea lion, or salmon. Traditionally, each totem pole tells the story of a Native American family’s ancestral spirits and family history, pictured in human and animal form. Totem poles are huge wooden columns which were made by Native Americans along the Pacific coast of North America (in the Pacific Northwest, from what are now Oregon and Washington, and stretching up through modern-day Canada and Alaska). The eagle is the father’s family crest, and the grizzly bear is the mother’s family crest. ‘Namgis totem pole in British Columbia, Canada.
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