Totem Poles

In this activity you are going to make your own Native American totem pole. 
Did you know...
1. A record of events
Some totem poles are a recording of important events that happened in the past. They tell the stories of those families and clans they represent, which could be myths or legends, or something that happened to a person the totem pole is honouring.
2. Totem pole meanings
But there are different kinds of totem poles that have other meanings. Some are used to welcome or scare off strangers, some celebrate a special occasion like a wedding, some are memorials to remember an important member of the tribe and some are made to shame a person or another tribe who has done something wrong.
3. Origin of the word
The word totem comes from the Algonquian word odoodem meaning “his kinship group.” This means a family or a clan. Totem poles are represent Indigenous families and clans!
4. Totem pole colours
Black, red, white and blue-green were the main colours of paint used on totem poles.
5. They're really tall!
Some totem poles are as high as 18 metres! That’s taller than a street light which averages between 7.5 and 9 metres.
6. Special wood
Totem poles are typically made from old red or yellow cedar trees. Cedar doesn’t rot like other woods do so it can survive for many years!
7. Totem pole creators
The original totem poles were created by only six nations of the western part of North America:
  • the Haida (say "hydah"),
  • the Nuxalt (say "nu-halk"),
  • the Kwakwaka'wakw (say "kwak-wak-ya-wak"),
  • the Tlingit (say "kling-kit"),
  • the Tsimshian (say "sim-she-an")
  • and the Coast Salish (say "say-lish") people.
8. Totem pole animals
The animals you'll see most often on a totem pole are the eagle, raven, thunderbird, bear, beaver, wolf, killer whale and frog.
9. Carving tools
Totem poles were originally carved by hand using sharpened stones, sea shells, bones or even beaver teeth!
10. Carving styles
The different tribes have different carving styles.
  • Haida totems have big eyes and deep carvings.
  • Kwakwaka'wakw carvings are also deep but the eyes are more narrow.
  • Tsimshian and Nuxalt totems are known to have carvings of more supernatural and non-human beings.
  • Coast Salish totems featured more human-looking carvings.
11. Totem pole raising
Today, totem poles are raised for crowds of hundreds of people in places of honour and First Nations villages.
12. Time to create
Depending on the size and the carver’s experience, a totem pole could take anywhere between three to nine months to create.