Seven distinct Indigenous Nations once dominated the Pacific Northwest Coast with each Nation speaking their own language and dialect. Although customs, practices and art styles varied from North to South, the Nations still held much in common. Similarities included elaborate social and ceremonial structures with traditions thought to go back to the beginning of time (Stewart 1990, 17).  One of these traditions was the carving of Totem Poles and the ceremony of the potlatch. This website will explore the Haida Nation's material ritual of Totem Pole carving, the ceremonial practice of the potlatch and the intricate ways these rituals and ceremonies connect the Nation to its past, yet keep it a central part of its life in the present.

 

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