Why Totem Poles?
There are four main purposes for totem poles in Tlingit Culture: Totems identified or told a family story, legends of the clan Totem poles were carved as memorials in honor of a deceased beloved or Chief, whose ashes were placed in a compartment in the back of the pole. Totems were made to commemorate an event such as the birth of a child or a brave deed by a hunter. There were also shame or debt poles, which weren’t used often, to make fun of someone who wronged the clan or village. Totem poles were often raised to commemorate a potlatch.
