Totem Pole Octopus Symbols: The Octopus is traditionally depicted with a bird like head, hooked bill, suction plates and tentacles.Totem Pole Halibut Fish Symbols: The Halibut has a continuous fin and is depicted with both eyes on one side.Totem Pole Frog Symbols: The Frog is portrayed as if seen from above.Totem Pole Shark Symbols: The Shark is depicted with gills slits as crescents and a crescent shaped mouth, turned down at the corners and filled with saw-like teeth.Totem Pole Killer Whale Symbols: The Killer Whale has two spines above the round eyes, two prominent dorsal fins, a large head and a mouth turned up at the corners.Totem Pole Mountain Goat: The Mountain Goat is depicted with slender, sharp horns and cleft hoof with two toes.Totem Pole Beaver Symbols: The beaver is distinguished by its two protruding teeth and round nostrils.Totem Pole Eagle Symbols: The Eagle is distinguished by its short, curved beak.Totem Pole Wolf Symbols: The Wolf are carved with tall ears, a long sharp muzzle, elevated snout and lots of teeth.Totem Pole Natural Phenomena: Images from nature including the sun, moon, stars and rainbows are also depicted.All birds have eyebrows and have ears on the top of their heads. Beaks horizontally protrude from the figure or carved tucked against the chest. Totem Pole Birds: Birds are usually carved perched with their wings outstretched or folded at their sides.

Totem Pole Fish and Sea Mammals: The eyes of fish and some sea mammals are carved with round eyes.

The bodies of most animals are facing the front. Four legged animals are usually depicted in a crouching position.

Totem Pole Land Animals: The eyes of land animals are carved as two curves enclosing a circle.

Totem Pole Top Figures: The top figures often identify the tribe, clan or lineage such as the eagle or the raven.

People are shown with erect ears and women are distinguished from men by a labret (lip ornament) in their lower lip. People can be depicted upright but more often in a crouching position.

Totem Pole People: Men and Women are represented fairly realistically.

The killer whale had a protruding dorsal fin, and the eagle, a curved beak. Erect ears on a Totem Pole figure distinguished an animal from a man. The images carved on the Totem Pole were carved to represent human and animal faces rather than to look exactly like them. Identifying Totem Pole Symbols and Images

Other mythical creatures such as a scaly double-headed serpent called Sisiutl, the thunderbird and a supernatural shape-shifting bird called Kolus might also be featured.

The top section of the Totem Pole often display flamboyant portrayals of Mythical creatures and monsters such as the Thunderbird and the Haida tribe artists might often place three Watchmen with tall hats on top of their Totem Pole creations.The bottom section of the Totem Pole is the most important as it displays the symbols and images in the most visible and prominent position.The totem pole is built in three sections and the position of figures on the Totem pole are also significant. The figures carved on a Totem pole might include a person, animals, birds or insects and might also display mythological and legendary images, usually Animal Spirits, whose significance was their association with the lineage of the tribe. Only six tribes of Northwest Indians create and construct the Totem Pole: the Haida, Tlingit, Bella Coola, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl and the West Coast tribe. For additional information refer to Power Animals. The Totem Pole symbolizes guardian spirits or helpers each of the animals, images and symbols have special and specific meanings.

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