Stand Tall- Totem Pole Research

Stand Tall- Totem Pole Research

As seen in the film The Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii, on the Haida Gwaii island, there are large trees with carvings of animals and people, they are called totem poles. Totem poles have been the most recognizable cultural symbol of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. They are usually between three to twenty meters tall. They were first made to represent and remember ancestors, history, and events by the Pacific Northwest First Nations.  Many people say that the totem poles tell stories, but no, they document stories and histories familiar to community members or particular family or clan members, according to Alicia Huang from the University of British Columbia (Huang, 2009).

Totem poles are usually made from red cedar, a tree that is abundant in the Pacific Northwest. Red cedar is malleable and easy to carve. Carving totem poles takes a great deal of artistic skill and understanding of the cultural importance and forest ecology. Before the harvesting of the cedar tree, most First Nations communities perform a ceremony to show gratitude and respect for the tree and the land.

Totem poles are a visual display of humans, supernatural beings, and animals. These carvings represent a family’s kinship, lineage, crests, and clan membership. So families of the Thunderbird clan on the Vancouver Island, have a thunder bird on their totem poles. The more animal crests on the poles, the wealthier and influential the families are.

There are different types of totem poles that have different cultural and ancestral purpose. Memorial poles are made in honor of a person or event and are usually the tallest and most common. Some are used within the longhouse for support, and stand at the main entrance. Mortuary poles are used to hold grave boxes.  Some poles are even used to put shame on neighboring groups, that had debts to be owned.  

-Marlee <3