Monumental carvings by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest
For other uses, see Totem pole (disambiguation).
A Gitxsan pole (left) and Kwakwaka'wakw pole (right) at Thunderbird Park in Victoria, Canada.
Totem poles (Haida: gyáaʼaang)[1] are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by First Nations and Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast including northern Northwest Coast Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian communities in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Kwakwaka'wakw and Nuu-chah-nulth communities in southern British Columbia, and the Coast Salish communities in Washington and British Columbia.[1]
The word totem derives from the Algonquian word odoodem [oˈtuːtɛm] meaning "(his) kinship group". The carvings may symbolize or commemorate ancestors, cultural beliefs that recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. The poles may also serve as functional architectural features, welcome signs for village visitors, mortuary vessels for the remains of deceased ancestors, or as a means to publicly ridicule someone. They may embody a historical narrative of significance to the people carving and installing the pole. Given the complexity and symbolic meanings of these various carvings, their placement and importance lies in the observer's knowledge and connection to the meanings of the figures and the culture in which they are embedded.
^ abWright, Robin K. (n.d.). "Totem Poles: Heraldic Columns of the Northwest Coast". University of Washington, University Libraries, American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
Totempoles (Haida: gyáaʼaang) are monumental carvings found in western Canada and the northwestern United States. They are a type of Northwest Coast...
("little" moose-tail). The totempoles of the Pacific Northwestern Indigenous peoples of North America are carved, monumental poles featuring many different...
The Kayung totempole is a 12-metre (39 ft) totempole made by the Haida people. Carved and originally located in the village of Kayung on Graham Island...
Pioneer Square totempole, also referred to as the Seattle totempole and historically as the Chief-of-All-Women pole, is a Tlingit totempole located in...
mountain goat with only one horn, fireweed. Clan cry/call: hŏc The G'psgolox totempole is attached with a legend. It is told that, in 1872, a smallpox epidemic...
stands by the right-hand doorway, which represents death. A 20 ft (6.1 m) totempole, carved from red cedar, stands outside the museum's main entrance. It...
potlaches was thought to "feed" new totempoles. The Tlingit carve crests on totempoles made of cedar trees. The totempoles carved normally tell a story,...
The largest object on display in the museum is the Haida house post, a totempole, which has a height of 11.36m. It originally stood in front of the Star...
and restoration of totempoles is a relatively new topic in the field of art conservation. Those who are custodians of totempoles include Native American...
"Auburndale-on-the-Charles" near Boston, Massachusetts. The associated TotemPole Ballroom became a well-known dancing and entertainment venue for big bands...
Untitled TotemPole (also known as simply Untitled or TotemPole) is a 1984 cedar totempole created by James Bender and Marvin Oliver, installed in Seattle's...
includes a canyon, a waterfall, gardens, a pool with fountains, and totempoles. Further in to the pavilion, beyond the rustic log cabins, a small thoroughfare...
totempole called kay htoe boe on an auspicious day. The Karenni recognise three types of totems: male, female, and rice paddy. Male and female totem...
surveying Totempole, monumental sculptures carved from great trees Trolley pole Utility pole, also called a telephone pole, telegraph pole or power pole, a...
give an exquisite look without losing the original touch. The carved totempole by Kuo Qing-Chi (郭清治), which stands in front of the museum, is 1.1 metres...
and Henry Hunt. When erected in 1956 it was the tallest totempole in the world. The pole has been repaired a number of times and was lowered from 2000-2001...
Moginger as Totempole member in "TotemPole" Mario Liebl as Totempole member in "TotemPole" Dominik Kreilinger as Totempole member in "TotemPole" Daniel...
1965): "I Can't Stop" / "Don't Love Her No More" / "All Systems Go" / "TotemPole" / "Emptiness" / "Ooee Train" / "She Ain't Coming Back" / "Something I...
The Knowledge TotemPole is a totempole carved by Coast Salish artist Cicero August and sons Darrel and Doug August, installed outside the British Columbia...
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