what do the carvings on a totem pole mean
The word totem derives from the Algonquian (most likely Ojibwe) word odoodem [ oËtuËtÉm ], his kinship group. Totem poles are not religious objects, but they do communicate important aspects of native culture. Carvings of animals and other characters typically represent characters or events in a story.otem poles are the largest, but not the only objects that coastal Pacific Northwest natives use to depict family legends, animals, people, or historical events. The freestanding poles seen by the region's first European explorers were likely preceded by a long history of decorative carving.