Totem Poles

Less than a couple of hundred years ago on the northwest coast of North America thrived one of the great artistic cultures of the world.

The Haida Nation was strong and to a certain degree ruled the roost of the west coast, trading and warring from their home in Haida Gwaii (Alaska and The Queen Charlotte Islands) as far south as California. The Haida were on this coast at least 10,000 years and there are indications that parts of their home even escaped the Ice Age just before that so may have been inhabited even longer. The land and sea were rich in resources and the Haida were numerous until European contact at which point guns, germs and steel took their toll.

Unfortunately the Haida didn't make their art in stone but worked in the local medium, cedar, to produce monolithic art of a completely unique style and grace.

Their Totem poles featured creatures from mythology and clan icons, and were often carved from single massive cedar trees. Many of the big museums raided Haida Gwaii ostensibly to save the poles from further deterioration. Today the Haida Nation is strong once more and their art is again vibrant.
Here in SL you can now have 4 one prim Haida poles. There is some question in my mind whether one of the poles is indeed Haida, but it's a nice pole anyway.

New ways

Bill Ried, perhaps the best known haida artist.

Robert Davidson's work is stunning.

It's still a vibrant evolving art form too.