Totems Across the World

Did you know that totem poles have similarly been made in other parts of the world for thousands of years? The oldest totem pole in the world was found in Russia and is estimated to be 15,000 years old.

Archaeologists have found poles in places such as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Siberia, China, Japan, North and South Korea and North America. These poles differ in material, carving techniques, but also culture, use and style. For example, the Sakhas in Siberia did not choose to depict mythical creatures on their poles, but animals such as cows and horses. The reason behind this is that the Sakhas depended heavily on these animals for their daily survival and chose to show this on their totem poles. On the other side of the world, in Japan, the Ainu people have been carving very realistic totem poles with three-dimensional bears, whales and owls for generations.