Carving a Totem Pole

Joan Buchanan is a writing instructor and storyteller, and the author of
Taking Care of My Cold! and The Nana Rescue.

Vickie Jensen tells the story of how Nisga’a artist Norman Tait and
his crew carve a totem pole, from start to finish, for the Native
Education Centre in Vancouver. In the foreword Tait points out that a
“pole is given a name and treated with the same kind of respect you
would give a chief. Like the elders, each pole is a teacher, a
storyteller.”

Jensen begins with a short history of totem poles and devotes the rest
of the book to describing the three-month process carried out by Tait
and his crew simply and effectively. Her warm, sepia photographs are
integral and could be read as a pictorial essay in themselves, their
brown tones lending a sense of history. Throughout, one gets a clear
sense of the effort, artistry, and apprenticeship needed in carving a
totem. At the pole raising, the feeling of pride is very moving.

Unified by excellent design and layout, this book is a treasure. Highly
recommended.