A new totem pole for the Haida Gwaii

This is a Haida totem pole.
Photo: fboudville, Creative Commons, Flickr

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun
Level 1

A totem pole is a carved log.

The carvings tell stories and history.

The new totem pole is 14 metres tall.

Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise.

• A new totem pole for the Haida Gwaii-PDF

Visit the links:

• Watch this video.  See the community set up the new totem pole in Gwaii Haanas national park.  This is the first new pole in 100 years.

This face is carved into the new totem pole.
Photo: Courtesy of The Vancouver Sun

It is made of red cedar.

This tree was 500 years old.

A team of carvers worked for one year.

The Haida community is proud of their new pole.

See more photos:

Old totems in Gwaii Haanas
Photo: brodieguy, Creative Commons, Flickr

Grave yard totem in Gwaii Haanas at the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Photo: ahzut, Creative Commons, Flickr