Totem Poles have a fascination of mystery surrounding their appearance as an unique form of art and carved beauty.  A Totem is not a religious symbol nor an object of worship.  Rather, a Totem is a carved diary or family story of symbols that tells what is very important to the people who carved and erected the Totem Pole.  A Totem proclaims a clan’s or tribes status and is a symbol of the clan’s mythological history, familiar legends or notable events.  The animals carved into the pole from top to bottom represents the characteristics of each animal as a guide throughout life.  A Totem is an entity, such as an animal that watches over or assists a tribe or family as a spirit guide representative of the symbolic relationship between nature and human kinship.

The animal symbols carved into a totem is comparable to the European coat of arms, the family crest or a sports team mascot.  Animals are often given human characteristics in human folk lore and literary description with such sayings as: wise as an owl, crafty as a fox, strong as an ox, jumpy as a frog, or fast as a horse.  Comparatively the animals depicted on a Totem tell the symbolic relationship of the animal characteristic influencing the clan or family who commissioned the carving of a Totem.

While this very  brief description of Totem Poles does not do justice to the greater meaning and tradition of Native American Totems, yet it is an introduction to introduce the carving a three commission pieces of an eight inch tall, a six inch tall and a four inch tall Totem Pole.  In order to know what to carve into a Totem some research needed to be done, as it is with any new carving project, in order to carve as accurately as possible.

Paul N. Luvera, Sr. authored this classic book on carving Totem Poles in 1977.  At that time the major publishing houses rejected his book since this was right before the popularity of wood carving blossomed.  He used his own money and mortgaged his house to self publish this unique book on the art of carving Totem Poles.  The book sold out and has been re-printed several times since as the bench mark book on Totems.  This book became the primary guide for carving the three commission pieces that are depicted in the photographic journey that follows.

Each Totem Pole was carved out of basswood.  The vertical pole section of the six inch and eight inch tall totems are an inch and a half square block while the four inch tall totem is one inch square block.  The wings were quarter inch thick and the bases were half inch thick.  Wood burning was used for some of the detailing and each Totem Pole was stained with a mixture of raw sienna artist oil paint and boiled linseed oil followed with a coat of Deft, a brushing lacquer.

The Five animals carved into this Totem are named below along with their representative characteristics as to the story this Totem Pole is telling.

THUNDERBIRD –Powerful and Mystical – A Leader

RAVEN – Creation and Knowledge – Bringer of  Light

BEAVER – Creative, Artistic and Determined

BEAR – Strength, Learned Humility, Motherhood, Teaching

SALMON – Dependability and Renewal – A  Provider

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The Four animals carved on this six inch tall Totem Pole are named below along with their representative characteristics as to the story this Totem is telling.THUNDERBIRD –Powerful and Mystical – A LeaderFROG – Spring and New Life – Communicator, Stability

BEAR – Strength, Learned Humility, Motherhood, Teaching

SALMON – Dependability and Renewal – A  Provider

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The Three animals carved into this four inch tall Totem Pole are named below along with their representative characteristics as to the story this Totem is telling.

EAGLE – Great Strength, Leadership and Prestige

BEAR – Strength, Learned Humility, Motherhood, Teaching

SALMON – Dependability and Renewal – A  Provider

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The carving of these three Totem Poles is a story of the journey of wood carving of learning to carve a new project and continue to grow in the carving process.  Stretching one’s interest as well as being challenged by a new carving project is what keeps carving alive for the carver.  For the wood carver every carving project is like a Totem Pole in that each carving becomes an entity on the story board of what is most important to the carver.  Every carving is a sign post on the journey of carving one’s own niche.  And what a Journey it is becoming.  Travel well and carve often.

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