The figures carved on totem poles, some animals and some human, are family crests. A few families claim Raven, who brought light to the world; others, the Bear or Eagle or Killer Whale or ...

For my people, making totems poles is our way of telling and remembering stories ... utl’ spaal’ tu yuxwule’ kwus tuteem’, ts’e’ts’uw’te’num’. The raven heard eagle’s cry for help. sus nem’ ’uw’ lhakw ...

However, it is still possible to discern some of the characters that have a role to play - the frog, raven, bear, and wolf - amongst others. Contrary to the beliefs of many early travelers, explorers ...