Tlingit Art: Totem Poles & Art of the Alaskan Indians Review

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(More customer reviews)Tlingit mother Maria Bolanz and her daughter Gloria C. Williams collaborate to present Tlingit Art: Totem Poles & Art Of The Alaskan Indians, a compelling and informative social, cultural, and aesthetic examination of Tlingit Native American totem poles, carvings, and other artworks. Black-and-white photographs and illustrations highlight the thoughtful and "reader friendly" text which goes into considerable depth concerning the fascinating legends that form the basis of some of the carvings. Tlingit Art is an excellent and highly recommended contribution to Native American art history reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

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The Tlingit Indians of the Northwest Coast carved interior house posts, portal entrances and free standing totem poles with crests of animals, sea creatures, birds, and legendary and human figures, successfully combining symbolism and realism. This book examines the social and artistic relevance of the Tlingit carvings and relates many of the fascinating North American Indian legends upon which some of the carvings are based.

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Totem Poles (Make Your Own) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a nice little book that is written for a VERY young audience. Although it claims to be for grades 1-3, it is, in my opinion, appropriate for grades K-1.
Each page has a nice watercolor drawing/painting, and from 1 to 3 sentences in fairly large type.
It has a limited vocabulary and simple sentence structure that would make it appropriate for the K-1 student who is using the book as a learn-to-read assignment. However, if you are reading it to them, I think most children above the age of 6 would feel insulted and/or bored if this was read aloud to them.
For example: "They hunted deer and bear. They used animal skins for clothes." And on another page: "Look at this totem pole. It belongs to the Eagle group. Do you see the eagle at the top?"
Of course, there are also some general sorts of inconsistencies that are noted in the industry review above, but these aren't really all that much of a problem. In my experience, most kids will just king of pass right by these sorts of things and don't really notice them and aren't bothered by them.
Overall, this is a good book for what it does. If you want a fairly low-level book for the K-1 crowd, then this book will work just fine.

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Totem Poles Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have ever been fascinated by totem poles & wanted to know more about them, how they are carved, what ceremonies are associated with them, like the grand Potlatch, then this is the book for you!
After Pat Kramer offers Acknowledgements to all who guided her, she takes us on a wondrous tour of The Origins and History of Totem Poles; Totem Pole Symbols and Ceremonies; Identifying Totem Figures; Land of the Totem Poles with a Recommended Reading and Index section.
There are maps of both where the First People live & where the ancient & modern totem poles can be found.
Clearly written in columnar layout like a magazine with the page tops color-coded for easy access & referral. A treasure to keep.

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This book guides readers to the many places in British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska where totem poles can be found and helps viewers understand the 'language' of the poles. You can learn about their origin and history, the symbols and ceremonies linked to them, types of figures and how to identify them, and where to see authentic poles and pole collections. It includes: full-colour photographs with extensive descriptions of magnificent totem poles; archival images of historical poles; how to carve a totem pole; and what happens at a pole-raising ceremony.

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Totem Pole Review

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(More customer reviews)Text is written as narration by a boy who appears to be about 10 or 11 years old, and is telling us about his dad, who is a native Pacific Northwest Coast Artist and Carver.
This short book is a snapshot of a short period in time when his dad carves a totem pole, and it is raised at the entrance to an indian reseervation.
The text sounds to me like it was written by an adult trying to sound like a kid, and it doesn't sound quite right when I read it. Although this will catch the ear of an adult, I haven't noticed that kids are bothered or notice.
More importantly, it is a nice little book written from the persepective of a boy who is proud of his dad and his heritage, and is eagerly adopting his heritage and helping his dad, and wants to be like his dad, who is an excellent, positive role model.
The photos are excellent and very nicely enhance and illustrate the text. The quality of the book is very high.
I'd strongly recommend it for someone who wants a child's book to read to kids 5-12 years old, or to be read by kids ages 7 or 8 to 12 to read themselves.
Not only does the book do a nice job of telling a story and teaching a little about totem poles and Pacific Northwest Coast Indian culture, perhaps even more importantly the boy in the story provides a very positive role model for the kids who read this book.

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A Tsimshian Indian boy proudly describes how his father carved a totem pole for the Klallam tribe and the subsequent ceremonial celebration.

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Looking at Totem Poles Review

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(More customer reviews)No frills, no gimmicks, just an excellent written and graphic profile of totem poles as a symbol of a North American people. Allows you to enter a community where beliefs in the earth, sky, oceans, mountains and animals continue to be spiritual.

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This work gives a historical, cultural, and artistic account of the ancient craft of totem poles that has grown to be a symbol of the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast.

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Carving Totem Poles & Masks Review

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(More customer reviews)Very detailed diagrams and helpful pictures. Steps to produce results were not overly detailed yet specific enough to leave out guess work. The intro to each project gives a significant background of the history of the carvings. MAJOR COMPLAINT:Purchasing this book based on the title was found to be very dispointing since very little information or projects were on Totem poles.

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"Excellent....Presents 20 possible projects ranging from masks and ceremonial items to dishes, charms, spindle whorls, bowls, and boxes. The descriptions and illustrations are simple and direct in this technique manual so that students can easily understand the process...exceptionally useful.”—Journal of the West. "Here’s a treat for carvers.”—Woodwork.

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Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest Coast Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is for anyone who wants to study or research the Coastal Indian Totem Pole. Written in an easy to read yet scientific style it is historically accurate, authoritative and comprehensive. It contains multiple drawings and colored plates illustrating the types of poles, their function and individual details. It is a must for the experienced artist who intends on carving a totem showing carving techniques, tools, pictures, animal subjects with an explaination of the meaning and placement of each. It even tells how to raise a carved totem. Available in paperback it has to be a best buy!

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This survey of totem poles from the Tlingit settlements of Alaska to the Kwakiutl villages of Vancouver Island examines the traditions that led to their creation. It includes both the author's vivid drawings of totem poles and historical photographs of early native settlements.

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Carve Your Own Totem Pole Review

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(More customer reviews)Along with many other carvers I would like to see a good book done on carving poles. This is not it. Even something as brief as Duane Pasco's recent booklet on carving a canoe but dealing with a pole would be better. The authors here have no real grasp on carving poles, IMHO, and basically produce totem-like objects and teach you to produce totem-like objects. The book by Vickie Jensen documenting a pole carved by Norman Tait is much better than this altho it only deals with one pole in one style.Robert Davidson's recent book about his first pole in Masset is also much better than this. However if carving a totem-like object is your goal this book may be helpful. Take a look at carvings by people like Tait, Davidson, Pasco, Don Yeomans, Scott Jensen, Bill Reid, Steve Brown etc and then look at what these guys are producing and ask yourself which you prefer. If you prefer what these guys are doing then this book is for you. If you like the other stuff, then get a copy of Robin Wright's book on Master Haida carvers, study the old stuff (as all of the above carvers have done), and try to find some classes taught by people who can do work like that. I'm giving this book three stars because there are some nice pictures here and there of good poles. Other than that, as Barry Herem once said in a review of a book about carving poles done by a local referred to as Ralph of Anacortes, the title would be perfect if they just added the word NOT to it.

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How to plan, carve and paint your personal totem pole.

This well-illustrated guidebook includes the history of totem-pole carving and its West Coast native traditions, techniques and patterns. It examines the historic and modern tools involved. And it also presents great ideas for carving a totem pole, whether with traditional designs or more personal folk-art motifs.

Carving instructor Wayne Hill reveals how to select the right wood and use the correct tools to best advantage. Artist Jimi McKee shows how to create drawings and templates in authentic West Coast styles. There are also special notes on the meanings of figures, along with many instructions on painting your totem pole and recommendations for placement.

A folk-art family totem pole will be treasured for years to come. This handy illustrated guide includes all the background and information required to create one.

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