A Tsleil-Waututh First Nation Totem Pole

First Nations Artifact Assignment Title: unknown Ethnic Group: Burrard Band of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation. Considered to be part of the Coastal Salish. The reserve is about 3km east of the 2nd Narrows Bridge, via Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver. The reserve is near but not quite on Indian Arm, looking out to oil refineries on the southern reaches of their traditional territories across Burrard Inlet. The range of the Tsleil-Waututh traditionally spanned the entire …

…tourists who were unfamiliar with the style of art traditional to the region. This huge demand for First Nations souvenirs led to the sale of millions of cheep wood or plastic totem poles, tomahawks, and other pseudo-Indian replicas, most of which were made in China since most First Nations groups wanted nothing to do it. It is partially due to this explosion in tourism the many Native skills and styles have survived into the present.