The Totem Heritage Center preserves and perpetuates the living artistic traditions of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples that gave rise to the original totem poles on display and provides the opportunity to discover, learn and practice Native arts to inspire cultural understanding. The knowledgeable staff and interpretive panels help visitors gain a historical context with which to approach contemporary totem poles and the cultural traditions present in the community.
These tribes are fairly well spread through the coastal region- some of the stylistic detail are quite similar to items we see here in one of our museums, and the Haida especially are quite established along the BC coast.
ReplyDeleteThose old ones look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHow great you got to visit this place. Always thought the art work was spectacular.
ReplyDeleteThe totem poles are very special to the Alaskan Natives. The stories that they tell are very culturally important. It's nice to listen to an elder tell the story which was passed down to them through generations. Nice photos Kate.
ReplyDeleteThis looks wonderful! The colors in the top photo are similar to ones used in totem poles here but the style is different.
ReplyDeleteGreat totem poles. They look wonderful, look simular to the ones I saw in Canada.
ReplyDeleteThe totems are fabulous Kate. I often think it would be nice to have a totem in the garden but part of me is hesitant incase it might be disrespectful, I know they have a lot of important meanings in certain cultures.
ReplyDeleteAmazing art! So creative. Love the photos.
ReplyDeleteI just love the tribe names: Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. I once sat in on an anthropology class at the University of British Columbia. The instructor had a wonderful German accent and when she pronounced those names I was hooked. Love your totem photos. Though I haven't been to Alaska, I lived in British Columbia for a number of years. It's a wonderful part of the world. Thank you for sharing your visit.
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