Why totem poles are important

Totem poles are a traditional way of telling the stories of First Nation families and clans, and of keeping records of important historical events. Many people think of the totem pole as belonging to Indigenous cultures all across Canada, but did you know that only six West Coast First Nations are responsible for the creation of totem poles? It's easy to tell where a totem pole comes from based on how it's carved because the style and design of each pole are specific to each family, clan or region.

Most totem poles were carved from mature cedar trees using sharpened stones and cedar carving tools. Cedar resists rot better than other trees and was therefore a natural choice to ensure that the stories are preserved for many future generations.

Coast Tsimshian poles often had horizontal line breaks between totem figures, while Haida poles had closely intertwined designs with a shallow relief. Despite the prominence of totem poles in the Pacific Northwest, there are some common misconceptions about the meaning and purpose of poles. Some mistakenly believe that First Nations worshipped totem poles as idols or sacred objects that contained the souls of deities, or revered them as talismans that could ward off evil.

This misconception may have been the result of cultural misunderstandings among Christian missionaries, who mistakenly believed totem poles were used in shamanistic rituals. From their earliest origins to today, totem poles hold a significant socio-cultural role in many First Nations communities. Most First Nations commemorate the raising of a totem with a totem pole raising ceremony, which is often held concurrently with a feast or potlatch.

Please click here for a video of a totem pole raising ceremony at the University of Alaska Southeast. Colonial officials attempted to assimilate Aboriginal peoples by banning cultural expressions and practices, such as the potlatch in , based on the expectation that Aboriginal peoples would then adopt Christian traditions.

Along with the outlawing of ceremonies, thousands of items, such as ceremonial regalia, were forcibly taken from Aboriginal peoples and sent to museums and private collectors throughout North America and Western Europe. This included totem poles. Much of this discriminatory legislation was not repealed until , although the relocation and repatriation of stolen materials is ongoing. Starting in the early s, the federal government adopted a policy of salvage anthropology and, fearing the decline of Indigenous art, began to buy out totem poles from communities living along the Skeena River.

The Haisla and the museum negotiated a plan for repatriation: the museum agreed to return the pole, and the Haisla would carve a replacement. Finally, in April , the pole returned to Vancouver. On July 1, , the Haisla officially welcomed the pole home to Kitimat. It was the first pole in Canada to be repatriated from overseas. You can view the film in its entirety on the NFB website, here.

For generations, First Nations peoples have made major efforts to maintain their cultural traditions in the face of assimilationist policies. Following the repeal of discriminatory legislation in , a new generation of artists began to learn and promote the artistry of totem pole carving as a form of cultural revitalization.

Museum in Victoria. In the early s, the Haisla people of the Kitimat area in B. The pole had been taken without consent by an Indian Agent who sold it to a Swedish museum.

Black, Martha. However, the design differs depending on what, or who, it must represent. This mural is on the side of a building in the Wooshkitaan Eagle Clan. The main image is a Thunderbird, capturing an orca, surrounded by sharks. The Thunderbird is marked with its totem animal on its chest, and the Orca has its own totem poles on either side.

Opposing clans balance sports, debates, and land, and most aspects of life are divided by moiety and clan. The Tlingits maintain a delicate balance between Raven and Eagle members, and in order to not disrupt any part of their life, they organize their social structure very specifically.

This historically extends to if a Raven member is killed by an Eagle member, a similarly ranked member of the Eagle moiety must also be killed. If one clan loses a member of its community, the other clans will provide comfort and aid. The animals used in totem poles are incredibly significant in Alaskan Native culture, especially in regards to maintaining cultural and environmental balance. While not an act of religious discipline, the time and energy put into the carving of these huge structures demonstrates the significance specific animals have represented for Alaskan Native communities.

The variation and specification in meaning and origin story for the wildlife in each clan acts as a reminder that animals have changed human interactions since the beginning of community development in Alaska. Without the constant presence and the involvement that animals have with humans, totem poles would be empty creations. With the ever-growing need for balance between humans and animal kingdoms, totem poles act as a constant reminder that humanity would be insignificant without their relationship to animals.

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