Totem Poles

by Hilary Stewart

Discusses the historical and cultural background of totem poles, the types and purposes of poles, and the tools and techniques of raising them

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Randal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough, easy-to-read discussion of the history, meaning, carving, and erection of totem poles. Good thumbnail descriptions of many of the stories behind various carvings and poles (although not always the versions I heard growing up).

Held back by a lack of color and the somewhat bizarre decision to make a book about totem poles wider than it is tall. This makes all the (extremely detailed) sketches about 2/3rds the size they could be if the binding was on the long edge. Given that the design is very airy, there's plenty of room for it.

While the book is respectful of the skills of the carvers, it would also be nice to see more photos of the people who do the work.

Otherwise, everything I could want in a book on the subject (I started school in Hazleton, B.C., home of the K'san traditional village, which at the time was still under construction, so Northwest Indigenous art is near and dear to my heart).