Native American Totem PoleNative American Totem Pole

Sally Pang

CMNS 488

Totem Poles

• Northwest Coast

• Carved from Cedar tree

• Do not contain religious meanings

• Tell a story, preserve cultural & heritage

• It may be a myth, legend, life of a person

Types of Totem Poles

• 6 Types:

• Indoor house posts

• House frontal poles

• Heraldic poles

• Burial poles

• Ridicule poles (shame poles)

• Potlatch poles

Symbols

• Eagle

• Thunderbird

• Frog

• Raven

• Bear

Readings

• Folk artists

• Carving a totem pole is more than just creating an art

• It is to tell a story

The End

YouTube - Northwest Native Indian Totem Pole.flv