About this Image
A Pacific Coast totem pole. The moist climate, the rich source of food from migratory salmon, and the abundant timber and marine resources made the peoples of the Pacific Coast from southern Alaska to the mouth of the Columbia River a highly prosperous native population. They were one of the few native cultures that did not rely on agriculture at all; their economy was based on fishing, hunting small mammals, and gathering wild plants. They developed a rich artistic tradition of elaborate wood carvings displayed in ceremonial masks and totem poles erected to honor their dead. Descendants of the first of the big-game hunters who had crossed the Bering Strait land bridge, by the first century A.D. they had created a complex culture involving large settlements, wars to take the best hunting and fishing sites, elaborate religious and gift-giving rituals (called potlatches), and the abundant use of woodworking tools. 1895 photo.
MLA
A Pacific Coast Totem Pole IRC, 2005 Image. Discovery Education. Web. 03 October 2017. http://www.discoveryeducation.com
MLA
Totem Pole depicting raven Discovery Communications, Inc., Image. Discovery Education. Web. 03 October 2017. http://www.discoveryeducation.com
