The styles of the totems shown in the Royal BC Museum in Victoria are as varied as the First Nations cultures they represent.
The BC Museum totems are different from the many more contemporary totems you can find in Sequim, for example here, and here. In 2011 I did a series on the totem poles of our local Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. If you’re interested, click here, here, here, here, and here. These two links will take you to the Jamestown S’Klallam carving shed in Blyn to show you local carvers and works in progress: here and here.
This totem is from an 1858 Kwakiutil house post in the village of Humtaspi on Hope Island. At its top is a moon figure. Beneath is the Dzoonokwa, a wild woman who lives in the woods. She is often seen with a basket on her back where she places stolen children that she intends to eat. I found this one particularly interesting as I have heard locally a Native American story about a similar child-eating character. She certainly gets around and undoubtedly has terrorized generations of children.
I have just had a great deal of pleasure checking all the links you provided on your post today. The contemporary totems certainly are different, and I loved seeing the artists at work making new ones. While on our Alaska cruise I visited one of the museums in Ketchikan. Your photos of the old traditional totems are far superior to mine. While in that city I found a wonderful bookstore and bought 3 books: The Wolf and the Raven: Totem Poles of southeastern Alaska, Potlatch, and Shamans and Kushtakas. Great, interesting reads. PS. May I put one of your photos on my computer screen?
Wonderful totem poles. I used the link and went to the carver’s shed. What a great place to see and watch the carvers work on their totems.
I don’t now if I mentioned that when we lived in Alaska, our house was built around a totem pole. I know I just mentioned it recently to someone. Anyway, I am putting the link in the post so you can see it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131946812@N04/20460001535/in/album-72157657063616075/
There is such a rich variety in the cultures of the peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful shots!
A fun post, Kay … very interesting totem poles. Well, except for the one about the person who steals children and then eats them. Sounds like a version of Santa’s “naughty or nice” character, but I don’t think Santa did anything worse than leave a lump of coal. Yikes!
We did fine. A very scary night but the damage was minor. We saw some signs down, lots of trees uprooted, one that fell on a house which was terrible, and a lot of debris, but overall we were lucky. We did lose power during the night and didn’t get it back until late last night. It’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day here today. Such a deal! BTW, our kitties were terrified and hid under the bed!
Excellent links May.. isn’t it interesting that the story of the old woman in the woods who eats children pops up in many cultures!