November for paid subscribers

art as a living thing

In Alaska, I got to spend time with totem poles. In total, my friend and I saw almost forty (all in Ketchikan).

The three indigenous people groups that make up Ketchikan are the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. We have them to thank for the totem poles in the area…

One thing that struck me was the perspective on the life of the piece of art. When a totem pole falls, they believe it is time to lay it to rest. Since they are made of wood, they are laid back into the forest where they will re-enter the life cycle and decompose. It was noted that they may lay a fresh log side-by-side to carve a new totem / a replica of the old one, but the fallen one won’t be resurrected.