School celebrated Indian culture by making a totem pole

Page 4

Students at Edmonton's Edith Rogers junior high school erected a 21-foot totem pole that they built themselves. Every year the school has multicultural celebrations, and this year they are focussing on Native Canadians.

The 21-foot log was brought in from British Columbia. Carving had to begin immediately while the log was still wet. The students worked in shifts, six students at a time, until 7 or 8 p.m. and on weekends using only chisels and mallets. The totem pole was completed in 14 days.

The totem displays traditional Native symbols mixed in with the students own ideas.