Totem Poles

Totem poles are among the most iconic works of Northwest Coast First Nations art. Although it remains unknown when or where the first monumental carving appeared, the idea eventually expanded into the broad range of styles represented in totem-carving cultures from Vancouver Island to Southeast Alaska. Standing before big cedar houses on the shoreline, they are visual markers of individual and family lineages. From the second half of the nineteenth century, a period widely considered the “Golden Age” of Northwest Coast art, carvers also began making models of large-scale totem poles, and more rarely houses, for sale to outside buyers. Among the most highly skilled carvers of their time were John gwaay t’iihld, Charles Edenshaw, John Robson, Tom Price, and Simeon Stilthda. Many of these works present miniatures of larger standing poles, while others reflect a combination of new design elements.