Totems out of their habitat

We are close to the end. Nowadays all sorts of totems can be found. Think of the totems you might have seen in your favorite amusement park or at a music festival. The way that people associate with totem poles differs from person to person. People are also becoming more and more creative with what a totem pole looks like or means. One example is the totem pole built for the 2016 Olympic Games. This specific pole was made out of medals won by the Dutch team at the games. For them, the ‘totem pole’ served as a confirmation of a special moment.

However, there are also descendants of indigenous families fighting to recover lost traditional totem poles. An example of this is Snuxyaltwa, whose family’s totem pole is said to have been stolen from Nuxalk territory during a smallpox epidemic in the last century and ended up in The Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada. He writes that his grandfather's ghost is trapped in the totem pole, and thus in the museum. By bringing back the totem pole, his grandfather's spirit can be freed for the benefit of Nuxalk's future generations.

For many, as for Snuxyaltwa, the totem pole still carries important cultural value today. For others, it might tell a more general story about a culture, a journey, or a victory. What do you think of the totem pole in Leiden?