Family History Totem Pole Project

the family history totem pole...my son and i did this when he was in kindergarten...now, he is a freshman in high school...of course, it is an attic space item now, but it still is something we can get out during this thanksgiving season and do some memories...cause there are lots of memories on there...yeah, i had to cut and glue and think on most of it, but he sat right with me when i was working and he was soooooo proud to to take it to kindergarten...we have tons of his favorite things on the totem pole...like sand dollars, sharks' teeth, the superheroes, buzz lightyear, a soccer ball, and an American flag (go USA!)...here are some pictures of the historic totem pole...

now speaking of totem poles, have you ever heard of david boxley?...well, i hadn't either, but i was teaching a unit in the reading book and the story was about david boxley...so i did a little googling...and found out about his cool stuff...kids got to see youtube videos...really made the semi-boring reading story come to life...you really can google just about anything to make your teaching more interesting...and you really should do so...kids these days just aren't into boring...sad to say, you gotta make stuff real by showing the fake...(videos and such)...but...it is the world we are living in and the way things have unfolded...here is a little info about david...

David Boxley is a Tsimshian carver from Metlakatla, Alaska. Born in 1952, he was raised by his grandparents. From them he learned many Tsimshian traditions including the language. After high school he attended Seattle Pacific University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974. He became a teacher and basketball coach to Junior and Senior high students in Alaska and Washington.

In 1986, he made a major career decision to leave the security of teaching and to devote all of his energies toward carving and researching the legacy of Northwest Coast Indian art. David Boxley has become a nationally recognized Indian artist showing and demonstrating his art in many parts of the United States and Europe.

David Boxley is the first Alaskan Tsimshian to achieve national prominence.  He is particularly well respected as a totem pole carver, having carved 65 poles in the last 26 years.

here is his website david boxley

also here is an interview with david boxley and some of his work david boxley interview on youtube

so...is there a song with the words "totem poles" to end with...yeppers!

Bruce Cockburn, 1970

"totem poles"

Crows are flying baby and
I'm tired of the cold
Crows are flying baby and
I'm tired of the cold
So honey come and help me build this totem pole

The lantern in the window
beamed me right to you
The lantern in the window
beamed me right to you
So honey come and help me
And I'll try and help you too My hearts been hanging up too long
My soul is wearing thin
My hearts been hanging up so long
My soul is wearing thin
So honey come and help me build a house
to put it in
So honey come and help me build this totem pole.

can't find this on youtube, but i did find it on itunes..just look in the high winds white sky album....

1965