Title: Totem Poles ***
Headings: Totem Poles
Totem Poles
Northwest Indian Totem Poles

Content: Totem Poles were not created by all Native Indian tribes and their production was limited to Northwest Indian tribes located in the Pacific Northwest Coast in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. The names of the Northwest Tribes which carved Totem Poles included: The Tlingit tribe
The Haida tribe
The Bella Coola tribe
The Chinook tribe
The Tsimshian tribe
Coast Salish
In the culture of the Northwest people Totem Poles were erected in the front of a Northwest Native Indian's home and would show the ancestry and the social rank of the family. The figures carved on the Totem poles could be humans, animals, or other creatures. Native American Totem Poles
Purpose and Reason for Totem Poles
Totem poles were made to fill a variety of needs, but their primary purposes were to commemorate people or special events. The first totem poles were carved as part of an elaborate Potlatch ceremony which was a great, expensive feast with deep meaning. Totem poles were later created for other reasons. The Principal purposes and reasons for Totem Poles were: Potlatch Pole - to symbolize the generosity of the person who sponsored the Potlatch ceremony
Legend Pole - To record a supernatural encounter
Memorial Pole - To commemorate the life of an important person
Burial Pole - totem poles were used as grave markers, grave posts or mortuary totem poles
Heraldic Pole - Recording the history of clans or families
Portal or Entryway pole - through which a person enters the house, identifying the owner and family of the house
Ridicule pole, also called shame pole - symbolic reminders of debts, quarrels, murders, and other objectionable occurrences
Indoor House Pole - supported the roof and bore emblems of the clan
Welcoming Pole - situated on waterfronts and identifying ownership of the water and surrounding area


Totem Poles - A Sign of Affluence
Totem poles a sign of affluence, a display of wealth. They were expensive and time consuming to construct requiring significant manpower in their construction and erection, which is why they are generally found near the houses of Native American chiefs.