Haida Gwaii Villages

Totem poles are usually made of cedar or spruce. Traditional carving tools are adzes (sharp blades tied to wooden handles), two larger ones used to remove big pieces of wood and an elbow adze (so-named because its shape looks like a human elbow) for final shaping, which compresses the wood fibers and helps make the wood water-resistant. Due to United States and Canadian policies and practices of acculturation and assimilation, the Natives sharply reduced their production of totem poles at the end of the 19th century. Symbols on totem poles are primarily the symbols of the clans they belong to. At the highest level, everyone is either of the eagle or raven clan, with subclans such as beaver, fox, bear, and frog. The raven has a straight beak, while the eagle has a curved one. The human figure on top is the village watchman, who warned of approaching danger or a thief in the village. If you see someone hanging upside down, they owe a debt to the village. Once the debtor paid up, the pole would be chopped down, taken into the forest to rot and a new one erected. Red ears and mouth signify a stingy person. See also the totem poles in Ketchikan, Alaska.