TOTEM POLESA NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY

TOTEM POLES – WHAT ARE THEY?

A series of stacked figures

carved out of a tall tree &

painted to resemble people,

animals, of spirits

Carved by Native American

tribes of the Pacific North-West

Holds spiritual significance &

watched over the community

TOTEMS

TOTEM: is a symbol, figure, or emblem, such

as an animal, person, or creature

Believed to have spiritual significance , but

WAS NOT worshiped

Watches over family / tribe like a guardian

Derived from the ojjbwe word “odoodem”

meaning “kinship group”

TOTEM POLE CARVING

Native Americans would carve large / tall trees into

poles of stacked figures & faces; carving is then

painted with natural paints.

Very expensive & only the rich / powerful had means

to have them made by a skilled knowledgeable

craftsman & would take between 3 months & 2 years

Made of wood & would decay over time or catch fire

Now an artifact on an obsolete people

TOTEM POLE TYPES / PURPOSES

Legend - To record a supernatural encounter & / or

tell a story

Historic - To record the history of clans or families

Celebratory - To symbolize the great ceremonies &

celebrations of the tribe

Memorial - To commemorate great losses to tribe &

for the deceased to mark graves

TOTEM POLE TYPES / PURPOSED CONTINUED

Portal or Entryway - To protect the door & identify

the owner and family of the house

Ridicule or Shame - symbolic reminders of debts,

quarrels, murders, and other objectionable

occurrences as a reminder to the people

Indoor House - supported the roof and bore

emblems of the clan

Welcoming - situated on waterfronts & main routes,

identifying of surrounding areas

SYMBOLISM

Each clan / tribe had unique symbolism &

interpretation requires knowledge of the customs,

traditions, and history

All colors and figures have meaning

All animals, figures, & spirits have meaning

The order can represent a hierarchy or a sequence

of time

When combined, all of these elements tell a story,

legend or myth

NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS LEGENDS

There are hundreds of mythical creatures in Native

American folklore

Wendigo – Horned monster that eats people &

turns them into a heart of ice for their sins

Sasquatch – A hairy wild ape man, shy & benign.

Mermaids – Half human / half fish sea dwelling

creatures, generally harmless

TEXTURED TOTEM POLE PROJECT

• CREATE A TOTEM POLE BY FORMING A CARDBOARD BOX

• CONVEY REALISTIC TEXTURE THOUGH LINES & ASSEMBLAGE

• DECORATE WITH SYMBOLIC DESIGNS, ANIMALS, & COLORS USING

MATERIALS AT HAND

• DEPICT AT LEAST 1 HUMANOID FACE & 1 ANIMAL FACE TO TELL A STORY

THROUGH SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION

• REFLECT ON PERSONAL ARTISTIC CHOICES & CONNECT WITH NATIVE

AMERICAN TRIBES THROUGH WRITTEN ARTIST STATEMENT

OBJECTIVES: SWBAT / I CAN: …

PLANNING - BRAINSTORM & SKETCH

Sketch the 4 sides of your totem pole

Add color & texture to all 4 sides

Explain how color & animal choices tell a

story about yourself

Remember you must have at least 1

humanoid face & 1 animal face!

TOTEM POLE - CONSTRUCTION

Measure four 5in. squares in a row

+ 1in. tab (for gluing)

Measure one 5in. square on second row

+ 1in. tab (for gluing)

Label with an X (you will not use this side)

You may add the 6th side to make a full cube if you want (not required)

Score, fold, & glue box together

? HUMAN

FACE

? ANIMAL

FACE

1”

T

A

B

5” x 5”

SQUARE

1” TAB

TOTEM POLE – DESIGNING THE SIDES

Based on your sketches

begin drawing on your

sides

Make sure faces are

across from each other

Think about the materials

at hand & how you can

create your totems &

how you can create

realistic texture

Create your sides

Cardboard

Constriction Paper

Paint

Hot Glue / Stick Tack

Colored Utensils

Craft Supplies

Found Objects

ARTIST’S STATEMENT TOTEM POLES

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING USING COMPLETE SENTENCES. CITE VISUAL EVIDENCE FROM YOUR ARTWORK & MAKE

CONNECTIONS TO WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT TOTEM POLES. BE SPECIFIC & USE YOUR ART VOCABULARY.

• DESCRIBE THE DESIGN FEATURES OF EACH SIDE OF YOUR TOTEM POLE (WHAT IS ON EACH SIDE?)

• EXPLAIN THE SYMBOLISM OF THE COLOR & ANIMAL CHOICES ON YOUR TOTEM POLE

• DESCRIBE THE TEXTURES YOU USED, WHERE THEY ARE, & HOW YOU CREATED THEM

• RELATE YOUR ARTISTIC CHOICES TO THE STORY YOUR TOTEM POLE TELLS ABOUT YOURSELF