Totem
Poles are monumental sculptures carved
from great trees, typically Western
Redcedar, by a number of Native American
cultures along the Pacific northwest
coast of North America. A totem pole
in Totem Park, Victoria, BCThe beginnings
of totem pole construction are not
known. Being made of wood they decay
easily in the rain forest environment
of the Northwest Coast, so no examples
of poles carved before 1800 exist.
However 18th century accounts of European
explorers along the coast indicate
that poles certainly existed at that
time, although small and few in number.
In all likelihood, the freestanding
poles seen by the first European explorers
were preceded by a long history of
monumental carving, particularly interior
house posts.
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