I try very hard to keep an open mind about what is beautiful and what is art. We are always looking to discover who we are, what has shaped who we are, and how did I ever get here. On a recent trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, to attend an auctioneer's seminar, I made a stop to the University of British Columbia to visit their native people's museum. I have always been interested in those large wooden totem poles since my days of looking at the pictures in National Geographic Magazine. However, I could never find a good reference book that gave me any real information.
Totem poles are about cultural identity.
I discovered from my tour and later readings, that you treat a totem pole with respect, just like a person, because in their culture that's what it is. A pole is just another person that is born into the family, except they are the storytellers. The totem pole has become the very symbol of the Northwest Coast native people and their art. They were a civilization with an elaborate social and ceremonial structure, and with traditions that went back to the beginning of time. They usually located their villages in sheltered bays and inlets, and lived in large, sturdy post and beams houses that provided warmth and comfort.