Totem Pole's

The Pacific Northwest Coast Native Americans believed that everything from the ground that they walked on to the animals all around them possessed a spirit. And to that spirit they believed they were linked. That was their totem or story. A symbol or figure that was carved on a pole and painted in that tribes traditional color schemes. Thus a story was told.

First let me say that I am not a Native American Indian. I am only an admirer of there art. It has posed a challenge that was inescapable and I just had to try making them in my own medium.

We will soon have a booklet out that tells the story of each of the totem figures and after picking the parts of there stories that pertain to you, you can have your very own glass totem made that represents the story of your loved one, friend, family or place. For more information please contact us.

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		THUNDERBIRD Portrayed with wings outstretched and curled horns on its head, the Thunderbird was a giant mythical bird with supernatural strength. This immense creature lived in craggy mountain peaks; and when it flapped its wings, lightning shot out from its eyes and beak accompanied by the intense roar of thunder. Killer Wale
		BEAVER Beavers are noted for being salmon hoarders who can be vengeful. They occasionally would murder human beings. Also, if annoyed they’l burrow underground and create tunnels that will cause landslides and earthquakes.
		WOLF The spirits of wolves were believed to be harmless to humans despite having strong supernatural powers. Wolves taught the First Nations people how to live together in communities and form the important society hierarchies. An ancestor of the Nuu-chah-nulth visited the House of Wolves. There they taught him dances and songs.
		Goat
		BEAR Hunters pursuing a bear always carried out a special ritual because bears where considered a creature whose soul is similar to humans. They believed that the close relationship was because bears compete for the same food such as salmon, can walk on its hind legs, and its paws are dexterous enough to pick berries just the same as people. It can also turn itself into a human being and likes to marry pretty human princesses.
		RAVEN Raven is venerated as the creator of the world. Quite a reputation for a figure also considered a trickster and practical joker. Further attributes are an inquisitive nature whose bragging often leads him into great trouble. He’s also known to be greedy and constantly looking for food. To accomplish much of his mayhem, he can change his form at will, even appearing human.
		Shark
		WHAT IS A TOTEM and WHERE DID THEY START Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, the Pacific Northwest Coast of what is now Alaska and British Columbia was settled by the ancestors of tribal groups that are referred to as First Nations. Some of the names of these First Nations includes Tlingit, Haida, Nuxalk, Nuu’chah’nulth, and Tsimsian. They lived in tribes or groups of related families and they believed that everything possesses a spirit. Each of these clans traced its origins to a particular spirit which became their crest or totem. Wood carvers created pictures of these spirits then painted them in traditional colors. Patrons who ordered the totems and were difficult to work with were often included in one of the carvings in unflattering ways. Some totems were actually structurally part of a house and were used to hold up the roof beams. A frontal pole would be positioned outside the front of the house and the base of it would contain the entry way. The most familiar totem is freestanding and would have been placed near the front of a house. These not only indicated wealth, lineage, and tribal status, but also represented the ancestry of the head of the house and referred to particular legends of the family’s heritage. People passing by would know whether or not this house was occupied by families connected with theirs. If it was, they knew this was where food and shelter might be provided. Once a totem was raised, it was allowed to age and was never painted or repaired. In the Pacific Northwest, there are craftspeople who have gone through an authentication process so even today having your own family totem carved in wood is still a possibility. Unfortunately for most people, space and money can stand in the way of collecting such a memorable and personal piece of art so that’s why Wayne Corrie began creating them out of glass. Each piece is lampworked separately enabling collectors to choose their own symbol (s) either one character at a time or the entire sculpture. The totem is mounted on a wooden base (since Wayne is also an accomplished woodworker, he makes the bases also) and a finished one stands approximately 12 inches tall. So far the most common symbols are the Killer Whale, the Wolf, the Thunderbird, the Mountain Goat, the Shark, the Beaver, the Raven, and the Bear. Each symbol is accompanied by an explanation of its meaning.
		We will be offering our totem pole piece by piece. Please pick the figures that best tell the story of the person, place or thing that you would want your totem pole to represent.


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