Pacific Northwest Totem Poles are art that was used to tell the stories in A Tall Totem Tale.
Art Summary[]
Totem poles (Haida: gyáaʼaang) are monumental carvings, 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.
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.
Episode Appearance[]
Trivia[]
- The totem poles that appear in A Tall Totem Tale are:
- Hummingbird totem pole by unknown Tlingit artist (located at Saxman Totem Pole Park, Ketchican, Alaska).
- Kwakwaka'wakw Heraldic Pole by Chief Mungo Martin (located at the Mungo Martin Museum, Victoria, British Columbia).
- Thunderbird House Post by Yakuglas (located at Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia).
