Totem poles are mesmerizing and breathtaking monuments unique to the First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest. They are true works of art that are also filled with history, meaning and symbolism. And they have been relatively ubiquitous in our travels, not only in major museum exhibits we have visited but also in many public spaces. There are at least six public sites in Vancouver, for example, where totem poles are found. The most conspicuous site is Stanley Park where the nine totems there have become Vancouver’s most visited tourist attraction. The poles are not merely historical or cultural artifacts but continue to have a real vitality today. In Alert Bay on one of our walks, we came upon a group of artists working on a 20-foot pole that a local chief had contracted to be carved for the front of his home. As is typical the artists were working on Western Red Cedar , which is particularly rot resistant and soft, so easy to carve...
