Third Week: Touching Spirit Bear

During Cole's time on the island, he spends a lot of time creating a totem pole to represent the change that is happening within him. Totem poles are an ancient tradition of the Northwest Native American tribes. They depict legends, clan lineages and notable events. They also illustrate stories historic people, represent shamanic people and they provide objects of public ridicule. Some poles represent quarrels, murder and/or debt. Native Americans created totem poles to celebrate cultural beliefs, artistic presentations and mortuaries. Native Americans drew inspiration from things around them such as animals or natural elements. They placed them on the totem pole in order of their importance. Many tribes used the bottom
as the most important. The totem pole was the first thing that people were going to see when they were on the tribes ground therefore the totem pole had to look representable. The tribes chief carver and his apprentice carved the totem poles, the chief would carve the bottom 1o ft and his apprentice would carve the top. The bottom would be of better quality and usually represented the most important event or legend. Cole used the totem pole to represent the change he was making, he used the animals he was seeing on the island to show the lessons he was learning. The most important part of his change was located at the bottom of the totem pole, helping Peter. Cole used the pole to help him change and it became the link to him helping Peter get past Cole beating him and putting him in hospital.



"Native American Totem Poles." 2007. Native Languages of America. 13 July 2008 .

"Native American Totem Poles." Support Native American Art. 2008. 13 July 2008 .