THE STORY OF TOTEM POLES
Have you ever seen a beautifully carved and painted totem pole? These sculptural works of art were first noticed by European explorers in the 1700s. But totem poles were not just decorations outside the homes of early Native Americans. They were owned only by the richest, most powerful families and stood as a symbol of those families' rights and privileges. Totem poles also helped to tell stories about the families who owned them. Totem poles were made from the wood of cedar trees and could be very large and heavy.
During a large feast called a potlatch, a totem pole would be raised. A storyteller would stand before everyone and tell what the symbols on the pole meant and the stories and adventures the pole stood for. Native Americans believed that each person or each family had ties to an animal spirit, so many of the carvings on a totem pole were of animals.