Information on Totem Poles

In ancient times the Indian tribes of the Northwest coast proudly displayed their family heritage symbols on poles which became know as “totem poles”. They were originally carved into the posts and door support poles of their homes. Gradually they moved away from the symbols being part of the house and erected individual totem poles. Contrary to the beliefs of the Christian missionaries of that time, totem poles were not idolized or worshiped, they simply represented family histories.

The Meaning of Totem Poles

The word “totem” is actually a word taken from the Algonquin Indian and means family, clan or family crest. Eskimos before the 1800s made carvings in the supporting poles at the front of their houses. These posts represented the ancestry of the inhabitants of the home. The poles showed depictions or writing with pictures that showed the owner’s descent from the bear, beaver, eagle or wolf. They also served as a memorial to family members who had passed on.

Creation of Totem Poles

Totem poles were usually carved from red cedar logs. Red, black, blue and yellow were the most popular colors. These were natural colors made from whatever materials were available. Some of these were tall totem poles and others were short rounded ones that stood inside the home. Those that were built without support normally lasted about 50 years. If the newer generation did not repair or replace them they ended up on the ground where they fell.

A Renewed Art

Around 1860 totem pole carving became an art in itself. New tools and new ideas arrived with the explorers and settlers who came to the Northwestern lands. By the 1870s shores were lined with garish, bright colored totem poles as much as 60 feet tall. Every little building showed the owners colors and symbols. There was competition in whose carvings had the most appeal. Shame poles were also occasionally created. These poles were made to publicly humiliate someone who owed a debt or had committed a crime.

A Lost Art

Gradually carving totem poles lost its appeal and became meaningless art. This was attributed to the consumption of alcohol and the new diseases that were brought in from travelers in the Northwest country. Totem poles today are done mostly as works of art. Someone who knows a little about their family heritage may create special ones. They generally do not have the same meaning as the ones made years ago.