Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved on poles, posts, or pillars with symbols or figures made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America (northwestern United States and Canada's western province, British Columbia). The word totem derives from the Algonquian (most likely Ojibwe) word odoodem [oˈtuːtɛm], "his kinship group". Totem poles are not religious objects, but they do communicate important aspects of native culture. Carvings of animals and other characters typically represent characters or events in a story. The carvings may symbolize or commemorate 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. Given the complexity and symbolic meanings of totem pole carvings, their placement and importance lies in the observer's knowledge and connection to the meanings of the figures.
The totem pole was obtained by the Museum in 1903, when the pole was about fifty years old. The craft of making totem poles, built as heraldic signs but misinterpreted by missionaries, was at that point in decline. It was purchased from Charles Frederick Newcombe, who sold a large number of totem poles to museums in Europe. The provenance of the pole was certain as the Museum already had a model of it, provided by J.H.Keen, along with two photographs that showed the pole in its original location.
Before being sold to collectors, the pole was located in a village called Kayung on Graham Island in British Columbia's Haida Gwaii archipelago. Kayung had been an important village for the Haida before European contact. After the population was decimated by successive smallpox epidemics in the late 1800s, Henry Wiah, the town chief, encouraged the remaining population to move to nearby Masset. The village was in the process of being abandoned in 1884, when Richard Maynard photographed it, identifying fourteen houses.
A totem (Ojibwedodaem) is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe. While the term "totem" is Ojibwe, belief in tutelary spirits and deities is not limited to indigenous peoples of the Americas but common to a number of cultures worldwide, such as Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Arctic. However, the traditional people of those cultures have words for their guardian spirits in their own languages, and do not call these spirits or symbols, "totems". Contemporary neoshamanic, New Age and mythopoetic men's movements not otherwise involved in the practice of a tribal religion may misappropriate and use "totem" terminology for the personal identification with a tutelary spirit or guide.
Native North American totems
The word totem comes from the Ojibway word dodaem and means "brother/sister kin". It is the archetypal symbol, animal or plant of hereditary clan affiliations. People from the same clan have the same clan totem and are considered immediate family. It is taboo to marry someone of the same clan.
Totem, is a public artwork by American-Spanish artist Rinaldo Paluzzi, located on the grounds of White River State Park, which is in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The sculpture is made of stainless steel and is a triangular shaped vertical "tube" with triangular and trapezoidal cut-outs in the steel. The piece sits centered atop a concrete circle, 40 feet in diameter, with a sundial face. The piece was constructed in 1982 and dedicated November 9, 1982. It is copyrighted 1983.
Description
The sculpture also has a bronze plaque placed just south of it. The plaque reads: TOTEM/BY RINALDO PALUZZI (AMERICAN B. 1927)/FABRICATED BY MITCHUM-SHAEFER, INC./OF INDIANAPOLIS AND DONATED TO THE WHITE RIVER STATE PARK ON NOV. 9, 1982/INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS (33 names listed) INSTITUTIONAL CONTRIBUTORS (30 names listed).
Information
White River State Park owns the piece, which was fabricated by Mitchum-Shaefer, Inc. based out of Indianapolis. Over 60 individuals and institutions contributed the $95,000 to install the piece.
Well I only fall for girls That are gonna break my heart But still I strive for danger And the dangerous times And when you lose your allure I will begin to hate you And what I really wish, Is you were still a stranger And my face is low, Carved on that totem pole And I want my teeth, To be covered all with gold And it hurt my pride The way you said goodbye Now I don't care If I heard you're living, or you died If I heard you're living, or you died And when I found you alone You looked just an angel And I felt I filled that gap I felt I worked that angle And now I'm the one alone And who's gonna have to handle And it makes me want to kill, It makes me want to strangle And my face is low Carved on that totem pole And I want my teeth To be covered all with gold And it hurt my pride The way you said goodbye Now I don't care If I heard you're living or you died
UCF vs. Houston. CoachJohnny Dawkins discusses J'Wan Roberts winner ... UCF Saturday. That ended up as the winning basket ... While TCU might be last in the Big 12 scoring the basketball, UCF is similarly at the bottom of the totem pole at the defensive end.
A Dispatch investigation into how police search for missing people ... Unreturned phone calls ... It's experiences like those that have made Ward feel like missing people are "at the bottom of the totem pole" of priorities for law enforcement ... @MaxFilby.
Grade. A. The original Monument Valley was a handheld puzzle game of beautiful design and high originality. Why it was called that I have no idea ... It made wonderfully clever use of isometric perspective ... We re-encounter our old friend the totem-pole ... .
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced ... (SharonBradford) ... Twyla talks about her frustration with dance not having as much money as other arts since dance is at the bottom of the totem pole ... What ... .
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb ... Sam Quinn. Latest on Suns' Jusuf Nurkic ... Phoenix traded for Nick Richards last week and further pushed Nurkic down the totem pole, and now it looks like the team's looking to trade the big man, per Katz ... "I don't know ... .
> ... Moynihan informed his colleagues and the nation that “Secrecy is a disease. It causes hardening of the arteries of the mind.” ... In my case it manifested as a type of paranoia ... Said Rep ... This month, Matthew R ... Williams memorial totem pole ... .
Dear Mr. Hegseth. Congratulations... The bad news is that the average tenure of secretaries of defense is 11 and 20 months ... The U.S ... You, as the top of the command totem pole, should do everything in your power to enhance those characteristics of the force.
The colossal presidential sculptures of Mount Rushmore stand as an emblem of U.S ... But Borglum had a different dream and turned down Robinson's concept as 'misplaced totem poles' ... But the challenges were unyielding ... history ... the Hall of Records ... .
Last of two parts ... Their art forms are manifest, too, in their totem poles, tribal masks, kundu drums, tapas, clay potteries, kina necklaces and toea armshells, and multipurpose string bags (bilum) ... Qatar ... 25, 2017) ... NB ... ....
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL. As we write this column, a historic, unprecedented wildfire that started on Jan ... This shocking event has taught the world several valuable lessons ... It is real ... The lowest in the totem pole of political power almost always get it.
Lucy Liu. Lucy Liu has opened up about her past clash with Bill Murray on the set of Charlie’s Angels... Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, there’s no need to condescend or to put other people down ... .
Lucy Liu sat down for an interview to discuss her career and the current state of the film industry ... 'Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, there’s no need to condescend or to put other people down ... .
We wrapped up this year with our party, Christmas at the Schmucker House. TotemPole Playhouse Christmas carolers welcomed guests as they entered, thanks to Totem Pole’s new DirectorRyan Gibbs and Managing Director Fern-Marie Aames ....
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