A seminal work on the Northwest Coast totem pole by two of the most renowned anthropologists in their field.

Totem poles are probably the best-known symbol of First Nations art. Highly regarded anthropologists Aldona Jonaitis and Aaron Glass reconstruct the history of totem poles, analyze their functions in different contexts and highlight the ways in which they have been appropriated -- spreading from the Northwest Coast to World's Fairs -- and how they play an integral part in Aboriginal peoples' struggles for control of their own culture and lands.

Solidly researched, engagingly written and generously illustrated, The Totem Pole is an insightful look at the impact of this beautiful art form on Aboriginal peoples and on our society as a whole. It includes short essays by well-known artists and scholars, including Nathan Jackson, Robert Davidson, Susan Point, Richard Hunt, Lyle Wilson, Bill Holm, Robin Wright, Vickie Jensen, Charlotte Townsend-Gault and Andrea Laforet, that illustrate the relationships between people and totem poles.

Robert Davidson is a carver, sculptor, painter, printmaker and jeweller, whose work is in private and public collections internationally. He is also a student of the Haida language, culture and history, and performs Haida songs and dances as a member of the Rainbow Creek Dancers. Two books have been published on his work, Robert Davidson, Haida Printmaker by Hilary Stewart and Robert Davidson: Eagle of the Dawn edited by Ian M. Thom, in conjunction with a major retrospective of his work at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Aldona Jonaitis' profile page

Aaron Glass holds a dual fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History and the Bard Graduate Center in New York City. He is presently collaborating with the U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay to create a digital database documenting the Kwakwaka'wakw collection in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.

Aaron Glass' profile page

"In The Totem Pole: An Intercultural History, Jonaitis and Glass trace the permutations of form and perception this iconic form of Northwest Coast art has undergone over the last 200-odd years...The range and depth of this handsomely illustrated book should make it the definitive study of the totem pole."

Seattle Times

"Words like seminal, definitive, and encyclopedic are bound to accrue to The Totem Pole...Widely researched and richly illustrated, this big, beautiful book tells us why we find images of totem poles on everything from fridge magnets and Frisbees to back scratchers and Boy Scout badges."

Georgia Straight