A 19th-century totem pole from Old Kasaan village of the Haida helps us to understand the meaning and function of clan crests.
Terms to know:
- clan crest
- totem pole
- Northwest Coastal peoples (Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian)
- Thunderbird
- bentwood box
- Chilkat weaving
Additional resources
Learn more about the Totem Heritage Center
Read more about totem poles from The Bill Reid Centre at Simon Fraser University