It took some time to get the photos to fit perfectly together. I took these back in 1998, so I'm not sure what camera I used. Most likely a disposable one, lol. The totem is placed at our City Capital Center. Here is a bit of history on the totem.
Coast Salish artists didn't carve wooden totems until the early 20th century. Interior house posts were sometimes carved with human figures and spirit helpers, or other images. Each image referred to the spirit power that belonged to the owners of the house. Carvings were also in forms of, crests, figures of birds, sea creatures and other animals.
Totems and other ceremonial artwork, such as garments or rattles, were not meant to be public. They were meant only for the ceremonies and then were usually destroyed. This is why you will rarely see these objects in museums.
Those items that are, must not be displayed until permission was granted from tribe or family member.
In 1899, Seattle Chamber of Commerce removed a pole from the Tlingit village of Tongass, in Southeast Alaska, without the knowledge or consent of Kinninook (the owner.)
It was placed in Pioneer Square and became a symbol of the City of Seattle. The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, held in Seattle, used the totem as a promotional effort. Models of this totem were sold to tourists, which made the people expect Native artists, from the Coast Salish area, to carve totem poles even though it was not part of their artistic tradition.
In response to this, and to raise awareness of the First Peoples of western Washington, Chief William Shelton at Tulalip and Joseph Hillaire at Lummi, began carving Coast Salish-style poles in the 1920's-'30s.
And that is your Washington lesson for the day.
I made this banner with apps on my laptop.