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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 page paper that outlines the prevallence of totem poles in the cultures of the Native American Pacific Northwest. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Totem.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
through the use of totem poles, which often utilize plant and animal symbols, or totems, designed with specific group attachments. From
an anthropological standpoint, totem poles are most prevalent in the Indian populations of the American Northwest coastal regions and of Canada. Though many other indigenous people also create similar
images, the focus of this paper will outline the prevalence of totem representations and their meanings for indigenous people of the coastal northwest regions of North America. Because of
the importance of these symbolic and artistic representations in determining lineage, outlining folklore, and supporting spiritual and customary considerations, the totem pole has long existed as a major product of
Native American culture. II. Totem Poles Depicting Lineage Many Native American communities, or tribes, are often divided into specifically designed lineage groups, and totem poles have long
been utilized as a means of representing these lineages. Different totems, or symbolic creature or plants, have been used to distinguish between the different blood lines in specific tribes.
Tribes often incorporate these totems with aspects of the family line, for example, the familys prevalence as whalers might be represented by specific animals or fish, while hunter lineages
might be suggested by valued animal faces. The most important aspect of totem poles utilized to demonstrate lineage is that there is a consistency between the family representations
in the totems designed along a common lineage. As a result, anthropologist can distinguish common family ancestries by studying the totem pole representations created by different lineages in a
tribe. Because of the diminishing populations in many tribes, the once existing expectation that young Native Americans would marry within these tribal subdivision has been replaced by the
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