PEOPLE OF THE TOTEM: The Indians of the Pacific Northwest - the peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada and Alaska had an affluent society, due to their skill as fishermen and traders, yet it was not by ownership of possessions that they judged themselves, but by the lavish way in which, at ceremonies known as potlatches, they gave away, consumed or destroyed their most valued property. They also had a deep sense of unity with nature: the world about them was felt to be alive with spirits, which had a constant and immediate effect upon the individual. Each family and clan traced its ancestry back to an association with a supernatural being, embodied in the familiar totem poles. Together, Norman Bancroft-Hunt's perceptive text and Werner Forman's beautiful photographs provide a unique picture of the way of life, artefacts and beliefs of these little-known and fascinating peoples.

Condition: Good - Author: Norman Bancroft-Hunt - University of Oklahoma Press - Pages: 128 - Paperback