Carving the Pole

symbol totem reservation

legends generation

The eagle is the symbol and the totem of the Eagle Clan, which is our family group within our tribe.

My parents planted a tree when they moved into this house as a symbol of their new life together.

symbol: something that represents something else (page 146)

The eagle is the symbol and the totem of the Eagle Clan, which is our family group within our tribe.

The totem for Wynona’s family is the bear.

totem: an animal, plant, or object that is a symbol of a family or

tribe. (page 146)

My father is carving a totem pole for the Klallam Indians who live on the Port Gamble Reservation near our home.

David returns every summer to the reservation he grew up on to tutor children who live there now.

reservation: land set aside by the government for a specific purpose

(page 146)

I will have animals and figures carved on it, important characters from Klallam myths and legends.

In Niagara Falls, several legends exist about the story of the Maid in the Mist.

legends: stories passed down that are not entirely true (page

146)

He tells me that it is a system for passing on legends and stories from one generation to another for people who have no written language.

Parents hope that each new generation learns from the mistakes of past generations.

generation: one step in the line of descent from a common ancestor (page 147)