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Native American Totem Poles
Native American totem poles are one of the many arts of cultural significance
produced by indigenous peoples, deeply meaningful but also very attractive
to the eye of the consumer. For some, Native American totem poles serve as
a visual recording of the personal history of a family or the broader history
of a tribe, its figures symbolizing stories and events of importance or spiritual
traditions and legends. For others, Native American totem poles are decorator
touches or souvenirs.
While anthropologists and other researchers disagree about the point in time
when Native American totem poles came into being, it is generally agreed that
those in the traditional style use carved figures to relate a message in a
visual, symbolic way. Some Native American totem poles are specific to a particular
family, offering a visual record of family events and generations, while others
are of the entire tribe, relating the history of the tribe or stories and
legends relating to spiritual traditions, such as creation myths and beliefs.
Like many of the native people’s arts, such as beadwork and pottery,
Native American totem poles are highly sought after works of art. Because
they are very time consuming to create, these are among the most highly priced
of the native arts. Interest in these beautiful pieces have led to mass production,
creating reproductions of Native American totem poles by machine, often by
companies far removed from the Native Americans themselves, who do not benefit
by their production or sale.
Native American totem poles are a fascinating representation of culture and
history, making it easy to see why they have also become a desirable consumer
product, as have many other types of indigenous art and hand crafts. The challenge
then, for consumers, is to appreciate such meaningful arts without co-opting
them or stripping them of their meaning.
Joseph Paige © 2006
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