Böcker av Aldona Jonaitis

The Northwest Coast totem pole captivates the imagination. From the first descriptions of these tall carved monuments, totem poles have become central icons of the Northwest Coast region and symbols of its Native inhabitants. This title presents the intercultural history of the art form in its myriad manifestations from the 18th century onwards.

In 1905 George Hunt, at the insistence of anthropologist Franz Boas, acquired a collection of materials and the shrine that sheltered them from the Mowachaht band of the Nuu-chah-nulth for the American Museum of Natural History. This book investigates the history of the shrine both before and after it was acquired for the museum.

Explores the stories behind the making and displaying of 90 different totem poles