﻿490 
  ANNUAL 
  EEPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  192*1 
  

  

  clan 
  and 
  family 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  owner 
  belongs. 
  All 
  this 
  does 
  not 
  pre- 
  

   clude, 
  however, 
  the 
  right 
  of 
  the 
  owner 
  to 
  introduce 
  carvings 
  illus- 
  

   trating 
  some 
  particular 
  experience 
  or 
  event 
  in 
  his 
  own 
  life 
  which 
  

   might 
  add 
  weight 
  to 
  his 
  bid 
  for 
  fame. 
  

  

  Many 
  people 
  think 
  of 
  artistic 
  design 
  as 
  something 
  tacked 
  on, 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  supplementary 
  to 
  the 
  essential 
  part 
  of 
  an 
  object. 
  That 
  useful 
  

   things 
  may 
  in 
  themselves 
  be 
  pleasing 
  in 
  outline 
  without 
  conscious 
  

   additions 
  made 
  for 
  artistic 
  effect 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  realized. 
  The 
  art 
  of 
  

   the 
  northwest 
  coast 
  Indian 
  is 
  unusual 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  totem 
  pole 
  which 
  

   he 
  erects 
  is 
  pleasing 
  in 
  itself, 
  although 
  not 
  intended 
  primarily 
  t( 
  

   please 
  but 
  rather 
  designed 
  to 
  impress 
  the 
  beholder 
  with 
  the 
  owner's 
  

   greatness, 
  wealth, 
  or 
  position 
  in 
  society, 
  and 
  to 
  induce 
  respect 
  for 
  

   himself 
  as 
  the 
  heir 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  crest 
  and 
  totem, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  

   expressed 
  on 
  the 
  pole, 
  usually 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  center, 
  and 
  top. 
  The 
  

   Indian 
  has 
  inherited 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  the 
  crests 
  and 
  totems 
  represent- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  traditional 
  animal 
  protector 
  of 
  his 
  uncle 
  or 
  mother's 
  brother, 
  

   together 
  with 
  his 
  mother's 
  family 
  or 
  clan 
  name 
  and 
  rank. 
  

  

  Much 
  stress 
  is 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  wealth. 
  The 
  desire 
  for 
  

   the 
  accumulation 
  of 
  property 
  stirs 
  the 
  Indians 
  to 
  the 
  limit 
  of 
  their 
  

   effort 
  and 
  ability. 
  Keligious 
  ideas 
  and 
  mythical 
  wealth-producing, 
  

   half-animal 
  creatures 
  are 
  called 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  gain, 
  so 
  that 
  

   many 
  figures 
  carved 
  on 
  the 
  totem 
  pole 
  represent 
  mythical 
  beings 
  

   whose 
  presence 
  there 
  insures 
  the 
  prosperity 
  and 
  future 
  wealth 
  of 
  

   the 
  owner. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  important 
  thing 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  is 
  his 
  crest 
  or 
  

   totem. 
  Representations 
  of 
  this 
  animal 
  crest 
  are 
  placed 
  on 
  every 
  

   conceivable 
  object 
  of 
  daily 
  use; 
  they 
  are 
  even 
  tattooed 
  on 
  his 
  amis 
  

   and 
  body 
  and 
  are 
  painted 
  on 
  his 
  face. 
  The 
  inheritance 
  of 
  the 
  proper 
  

   kind 
  of 
  a 
  crest 
  or 
  totem 
  determines 
  an 
  individual's 
  chances 
  for 
  suc- 
  

   cess 
  and 
  for 
  a 
  favorable 
  standing 
  in 
  the 
  community. 
  As 
  he 
  inherits 
  

   the 
  crest 
  or 
  totemic 
  animal 
  protector 
  from 
  his 
  mother's 
  male 
  rela- 
  

   tives, 
  he 
  makes 
  it 
  his 
  business 
  to 
  erect 
  a 
  memorial 
  column 
  or 
  tomb- 
  

   stone 
  to 
  his 
  maternal 
  uncle 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  he 
  is 
  financially 
  able 
  to 
  do 
  so. 
  

   This 
  totem 
  has 
  carved 
  on 
  it 
  the 
  symbolical 
  and 
  often 
  distorted 
  or 
  

   simplified 
  animal 
  figures 
  representing 
  his 
  inherited 
  family 
  glory 
  or 
  

   experience. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  only 
  after 
  years 
  of 
  saving 
  and 
  effort 
  that 
  an 
  

   Indian 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  erect 
  the 
  column 
  which 
  firmly 
  establishes 
  his 
  place 
  

   in 
  the 
  estimation 
  of 
  his 
  fellows. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  erection 
  of 
  his 
  totem 
  pole 
  to 
  the 
  memory 
  of 
  his 
  

   maternal 
  uncle, 
  it 
  is 
  customary 
  to 
  give 
  away 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  prop- 
  

   erty 
  such 
  as 
  blankets, 
  canoes, 
  and 
  in 
  former 
  times 
  even 
  slaves. 
  Sucl 
  

   feast 
  or 
  property 
  distribution 
  "has 
  come 
  to 
  be 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  potlatch 
  

  

  