Totem-Pole Model

Item number E74743-0 from the National Museum of Natural History.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by National Museum of Natural History. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Notes

From Card: "Totem pole. 3 pieces. Collector's comment: '1 large totem pole or heraldic carving made by the Bella Bella Indians, B. C. The combination is a pictograph which illustrates the artist's idea of some mythical legend. As a general thing, these legends are rendered differently by each artist either in delineation or combination and unless the artist himself gives the explanation the story is difficult to be correctly obtained'. -- 1 Dec., 1884 James G. Swan. 9/8/70 - 9/20/70 Loaned to Nat. Gallery of Art."Ian Reid (Heiltsuk) and Evelyn Windsor (Heiltsuk elder) of the delegation from Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Rivers Inlet communities of British Columbia made the following comments during the Recovering Voices Community Research Visit May 20th - 24th, 2013. A chief would have the totem pole model when speaking in large groups and bang it four times to gain the attention of the crowd. The depicted figures are the ancestors from the owner's personal story. He cannot tell his own story because it would be bragging, so another speaker tells it for him. It is very much a sort of 'talking stick'.