Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-07-27
LATTER USUALLY PRESERVE
SOME LEGEND, RECORD EVENT
OR GIVE GENEALoGY
OF PERSON
RUSSIAN STEALS
CHIEFS DAUGHTER
Climate Too Cool for Snakes-PIenty
of Wild Life, Eagles and Fur
Bearing Animals
(By H. e. Cole)

When the last census was taken
| there were about $4,000 Indians in
| Alaska, and these were divided into
40 tribes. The totem pole is the most
unusual product of part of these tribes
Totem poles are carved from trees and
stand all the way from few feet to
almost as high as the top of chin
ney on two-story house. 1t requires
two or three Indians three or four
years to make tall pole and the esti-
mated cost is as high as $1,000.
Poles are usually for one of three
things: to preserve some legend, to
record some event, or to give the gene
ology Of person. Indians belong to
the bear, raven, frog, eagle, wolf or
other clan, and the figures of these
animals, birds or fish are carved upon
the pole to tell the story. Poles were
placed in cemeteries, in front of the
four main posts of the house we're
faced with totems on the inside, and
as all were painted with gaudy colors,
they added not little to the unusual
appearance of things.
Raised by Main Strength
When the pole was completed there
was usually great potlatch-a feast.
AS the Republicans and Democrats
came to pole raising in the 70's, so
the Indians gathered to erect the to-
tenn. Before white men came, bark
ropes were used, but manufactured
ones were later employed. A hole was
dug in the ground, and then by main
strength and awkwardness the pole
was elevated. At this time the owner
of the pole gave a great feast and be-
slowed many gifts The blankets and
other valuableS given away meant
great wealth, and the more bestowed
the higher esteem. After so much
was given away the Indian usually
found himself poor.
that it meant trouble if any were
stolen. A number of years ago pole
was taken and brought to Seattle, and
the Indians made the offenders pay
dearly for the property.
Stole Chief s Daughter
The celebrated checker-board pole
stands at Sitka, having been brought
from one of the islands and placed in
the park. The story goes that during
the time Russia owned Alaska one OF
the Cars subjects became acquainted
with one of the chiefs, and taught him
to play checkers. The gambling con-
tinued for some time, the chief losing
his furs, ivory and other valuables,
piece by piece. After the Russian had
secured all of the chiefs property, he
ran away with his daughter, which
so angered the Indian that he caused
totem pole to be made with the head
of the Russian at the top and check
er-board at the bottom, there being
many ugly looking images between,
the whole serving to inform the pub
lii of what had happened and giving
any brave the privilege of killing the
Russian in case he should meet him.
The bodies of dead chiefs were
sometimes cremated and the ashes
placed in totem pole bearing his clan
figure and other emblems.
Totems are woven into blankets.
carved on spoon handles, cut into net
floats, placed on canoes, painted on
paddles and cut into halibut hooks.
Often an Indian prefers to carve hal
ibut hook from wood rather than pur-
chase one at a store He thinks there
is better luck in hook bearing to-
tenn.
Before the coming of the white man
the Indians built a log enclosure over
the grave of the dead Of important
persons and these are now made or
boards obtained from a convenient
mill. The grave houses are small
structures in which are placed blan-
kets, food and other articles of service