Jun 21, 2025
Celebrating Totem Poles
This Doodle celebrates totem poles — large carvings made by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast that can represent family crests, clan identities, and ancestral stories.
This Doodle’s Key Themes
About the Celebrating Totem Poles Doodle
In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, this Doodle celebrates the beautiful artform of totem poles. These large wood carvings were originally created by First Nations groups, including the Haida, Nuxalk (Bella Coola), Kwakwaka’wakw, Tsimshian, and Łingít. The Doodle artwork was created by Tahltan, Vancouver-based guest artist, Alano Edzerza.
More than artwork, totem poles are deeply symbolic narratives carved into wood. They tell stories, commemorate events, or represent a family's lineage and crests. Many of these crests feature animals that represent kinship, identity and family history. The animals depicted in this Doodle include the frog, wolf, raven, eagle, bear, whale, and thunderbird. Mythical beings, ancestors, and significant historical figures also find their place on these monumental structures, often stacked in a narrative sequence that can be "read" by those who understand the symbolism.
Totem poles are prominent on the Pacific Northwest Coast, and most carvings are done on western red cedar. These works of art are typically around 3-18 meters tall, though the world's tallest stands in British Columbia at over 52 meters! Their creation involves various tools, including axes, chisels, and carving knives.
Colonization threatened totem poles with bans on various cultural practices, like the Potlatch, a ceremony where poles are raised. Today, beautiful totem poles are symbols of survival and resistance to cultural encroachment.
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