Shame poles were carved to castigate a person who had wronged the clan or village. Mortuary poles served the same purpose but included a compartment for the ashes of the deceased. Memorial poles were raised in honor of a deceased clan member.
Genealogy poles were erected in front of a home to identify the owner’s clan and status. html Types of Totem Poles There are several types of totem poles. Totem Poles: Heraldic Columns of the Northwest Coast http: //content. They are often compared to the emblems on a coat of arms or the Great Seal of the United States.
The figures on totem poles are not gods to be worshipped rather, they represent certain traits or characteristics that the clan considered itself to embody. Each figure represented an element in a story together, the poles recorded the history and legends of the tribes, which had no written language. Made of cedar, totems served many purposes. Today, the practice of carving things upside down looks so cute, that it's done fairly often.
When this happened, the chief was usually too embarrassed to raise the totem, so there are no examples of naked-chief-totems that we can see today. Maybe if their treatment was really below par, they might carve the figure of the chief stark naked. html treatment, or if they were not paid what they thought they were owed, they might accidentally carve a figure upside down. In times past, if the carvers felt they were not treated to top-of-the-line http: //ox. What about humor in the old days? One of the responsibilities of the totem's owner was to keep the carvers amused, warm, fed and happy during the long carving process. php Alaska postcard about 1940 Totem Raising http: //users. htm http: //edu/burkemuseum/co llections/ethnology/resources_nwtotem. html History of the Totem Pole Little man in blow hole. The mythology of the killer whale is that is will bring food and assistance to a chief or other important person lying helpless and/or wounded. Killer Whale - Whales are honored as strong and brave fish. Owl - The owl is a very respected animal and is thought to symbolize the souls of the departed. Salmon - The salmon symbolizes instinct, persistence, and determination. Otter - The otter is a mischievous creature that is also a symbol of laughter, curiosity, grace, and empathy. In another myth, frog was held down in fire, when it burst lava flowed and engulfed an entire village. Frog - Known for bringing wealth and is associated with Copper Woman. Bear - A teacher symbol as it is believed that Bear taught the People to catch salmon and pick berries. Wolf - Very powerful totem who can help people that are sick or in need. He rules the sky and is able to transform himself into a human. Thunderbird - A mythological bird known to manifest the rolling of thunder while beating its wings and creating lightening when blinking it's eyes. Sea Turtle - This totem is representative of Mother Earth. Curious and mischievous, often misbehaving but never boring. Raven - The mercurial trickster of Northwest Coast Native lore. Interpretation of the symbols varies among the Native Peoples. php? srch=haida% 20 totems&op=ex&hd=ninstints% 20 village%20 haida%20 indian%2 0 totem%20 poles The following are general references of Totem Pole symbols. Each clan identified very strongly with the crests and figures carved on their totem pole. In a Native kinship system, people were considered related: by blood, by experience by war exploits and by adoption. What purpose did totem poles serve for Pacific Northwest Native people? Totem poles are emblems that symbolized where a person stood within a big family grouping- not just a mother, father, sister, brother, but within a whole clan of relatives. The meaning provided on this pamphlet are one example. Note: The symbols may very from tribe to tribe or researcher to researcher. The now abondoned Ninstant village is a world heritage site and contain the worlds oldest standing totems. Haida Indian Totems - Ninstants Village Location: Queen Charlotte Islands British Columbia Canada The Haida indians were the first known inhabitants of the Queen Charlottes.