The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-05-14

- HIS unusual photograph shows
one of the last-possibly the
a last-0f the carvers of totem
poles. He is William Shelton,
head OF the Indian reservation school
at Tulalip, Wash. The making Of to-
TEN poles is an art and few nowadays
are the men who can carve them.
What a totem pole looks like when
completed and set up is shown in the
side picture.
Shelton regards this enormous totem
pole as his life work. He has already
put in 5000 hours on it. 1t will set
forth the family history OF the Snoho-
rlish tribe of western Washington
When set in place it will be 6 feet in
p diameter and will rise 81 feet. Upon
completion of this life work Shelton
intends to devote the rest Of his days
to informing the world of the true in
wardness Of totem poles. 1t is large
undertaking.
What is a totem? Well, it would
take a Philadelphia lawyer to figure it
out and then he'd have hard work to
make the average man understand the
true fnwardness of totcmism, totem
and totem pole.
Totemfsm, the anthropOlogists say,
is common to primitive man in many
parts of the world, but is far from be-
ing universal. It is found among the
American Indians, but there are tribes
which show no trace Of it. The Eski-
mos know nothing of it. Certain Afri-
can savages have ii. The Australians
have it.
A totem Is a class of material OBJ
iscts which a savage regards with
superstitious respect, believing that
there exists between him and every
member of the class an intimate and
altogether special relation. The con-
npction between a man and his totem
Is mutually beneficent; the totem pro-
tects the man and the man shows his
respect for the totem in various ways.
II his totem is an animal he may show
this reSnect either by refusing to Kill
and eat 1t or by making 1t his favOrite
diet.
Fairly explorers found the American
Indian communities, independent of
their local distribution into tribes,
hands and villages. composed of sew
eral distinct clans. Each clan had its
emblem. consisting Of the figure Of
some bird, beast or reptile. as for eS-
annie the clans of the wolf, deer, OF
fer and hawk. In the language OF the
Algonuuins these emblems are known
as totems. Members of the same clan
we're prohibited from intermarriage
a man could take a wife from any
clan but his own. To different to
tens attached different degrees OF
rank and dignity; those of the bear
| tortoise and wolf were among the
FIRST in honor. Members of the same
clan. though they might dwell far
| apart and speak different dialects
| were vet bound by the closest ties OF
| fraternity. This kind of totem was
found in at least three varities: the
| clan totem, common to whole clan
and passing by Inheritance from gen
| Grafton to generation; the sex totem
common either to all the males or to
| oil the females In a tribe, to the eS'
cIpsion in either case of the Other
soy. the individual totem. belonging
| 70 an Individual and not passing tc
his descendants.
| As TO the totem pole. 1t is hard Il
| cay what 1t is. There is one thing
however, which Ii IS not: II Is not 9
| fetish or an idol or a thing to be wor
| shiped. The totem pole OF one mar
may be simply his individual totem
| A second totem pole may also bear the
| clan totem of the owner. Then a CHIEF
or rich man may have an elaborate
/ totem pole containing "all his crests
| and ali the stories connected with
! Them So that a very large and pre-
| tentious totem pole may be sort Of
family tree of the owner or even an
autobiography.
| Even in case the carvers OF totem
noIes become extinct, number OF the
most noteworthy of these remarkable
creations win be preserved for poster
NV for several generations to come
T-n.le sam realized quite q while agt
the adyisahuity Of this, The result Is
that there are two national menn'