get LOW on the pole

Today we learned that the figure on the bottom of the Totem Pole is infact the MOST important symbol of all. It represented the identity of the family or person the pole was created for. The rest of the symbols and creatures represented significant other aspects of the family as time went on; a marriage to another family, a gesture of gratitude, or epic journey.

Whollistic design! This container was made from a single sheet of wood. It was scored at 3 corners, steamed and bent, and then sewn together from small rope-like roots from the same tree! They never stripped more wood than needed so the tree would go on living and provide for their ancestors as it did them.
The museum of Anthropology on UBC's campus was way inspiring. Even the building itself was set to pay homage to what it would house (priceless treasures from the First Nation's heritage) and is oriented around massive windows which set the artifacts close among their natural surrounding trees, mountains, and waterways. I hope you all get to go someday.