Totemic

In Alaska and Canada, I looked at a lot of First Nation totem poles. Each is beautiful and unique. I also saw the work of the great, Bill Reid, a comtemporary carver. The color photograph is of is of his sculpture, Raven and The First Men at the UBC Museum of Anthropology. It depicts part of a Haida creation myth. The Raven represents the Trickster figure common to many mythologies. The totem poles also led me to think about the treatment of First Nation Peoples, and led me to support this project on Kickstarter, the Survivors Totem Pole. They need less than $907.00 to finish the pole and make a base for it. The master carver is Skundaal (Bernie Williams), from the Haida and Coast Salish Nations. She is the only female apprentice of the late master Haida carver, Bill Reid. I am glad the tradition of totem poles is still alive.