Travelling around British Columbia, I came across a number of totem poles. Totem poles are typically made of red cedar, which eventually decays in the rainforest environment of the Northwest Coast and thus few examples of poles carved before 1900 exist. The poles are painted black, blue, red, white and yellow from pigments derived from plants, minerals and salmon roe. They are erected as validation of a public record or documentation of an important event, not as an object of worship. Each tells a story or history of a person's clan or family, with the figures on the pole representing family lineage, animals or a mythical character.
Here is a selection of a few totem poles from the dozens that I captured.....
Stanley Park, Vancouver
Thunderbird Park, Victoria
Thunderbird Park, Victoria
Knowledge Totem near Parliament Buildings, Victoria
Traditional totem in Duncan, "City of Totems"
Traditional totem in Duncan
Modern totem in Duncan
Traditional totem in Duncan
Another traditional totem in Duncan
Yet another traditional totem in Duncan
Totem within a totem, Duncan
Love the totems.
ReplyDeleteHope you got to see the one at UBC in
Vancouver.
Your photos bring back such wonderful
memories of my time in the Pacific Northwest.
Those totem poles are absolutely awesome - love them all!
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful, Nat! Love the designs and colors!
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos of beautiful works of art
ReplyDeletethanks!
I love the Totem Poles!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Totem Poles are very interesting work of art. I have never seen the modern totem poles before. Thanks for sharing Nat!
ReplyDeleteIt's weird. I don't know. I just kinda assumed that they no longer existed. That the minute the "north american indians" (I know that's not the PC term) were wiped out that these totems wouldn't exist either. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know that about totem poles. I thought they were to worship (thanks hollywood.. :S). But they ae beautiful and valuable historial pieces. Thanks for sharing! xxx
ReplyDeleteSince the 1950s, there's been renewed interest in totem poles as art forms. Places like Duncan, where there are over 80 poles around the city, encourage native carvers to develop their art.
ReplyDeletePS The totem poles in Vancouver's Stanley Park and Victoria's Thunderbird Park are authentic old totem poles - they were collected during the early 1900s along the coastal regions and relocated to their current position.
ReplyDelete