Totee the Totem Pole

Photos of how we built Totee are in the Image Carousel.

Why Build a Totem Pole?

Totee was created in 2002 on a bit of a whim. Cathy happened to notice several very gaudy, poorly painted totem poles at the entrance of a housing addition in a nearby town. She mentioned it to one of her neighbors who said, "Oh, totem poles are the tackiest things...I would hate to have one near me!" Cathy passed this on the Mikey and expressed that she didn't think that a properly carved and painted totem pole would be tacky. The next day he came home with three pieces of telephone pole that he had liberated from a power company work crew who were replacing poles nearby. The rest as they say was history

With glee, Cathy designed Totee to fit on the 3 pieces of telephone pole. Meanwhile Mikey sanded the pieces to remove the surface dirt and some of the creosote. Cathy transferred the design to the pole pieces with black marker and Mikey set to work carving them with a chain saw and rotary files. He cut the wing shapes from cedar boards and made an end mill from a drill bit. He used this to incised the designs on the wings using a drill press (moving the wing below the cutting tool).

Next Cathy primed and painted the designs with outdoor acrylic paint with the pole pieces resting on two wooden cradles that Mikey built. Mikey cut the ends of the pieces off squarely which he said was the hardest part. They had to fit together and form one straight unit. Photos in the Image Carousel.

Totee was hauled down the hill (still in pieces) in a wheelbarrow. His newly constructed cement base was ready and waiting.

He was assembled with bolts and his wings were attached with metal straps.

The entire process took only a few weeks start to finish.

At first no birds would come near him (maybe because of the big eyes) but now he provides a great rousting place for many of our feathered friends.

Totee stands just over 13' tall and is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the lake.

Oh, by the way, the neighbor who thought totem poles were tacky moved away very soon after Totee made his debut in 2002.

Repainting Totee

In September of 2010 we decided that Totee had faded and needed to be repainted. We had help to take him down. It went well and he wasn't damaged. Now Cathy just has to find time to do the painting.

A full year later (September 2011) Mikey took Totee apart into two pieces and sanded Totee out in the yard. Some nice workmen who were at our house to clean out the gutters hauled Totee to the workshop.

Cathy started on the lower half of Totee's body and painted him with a base coat of Kills. The hope is that the Kills would slow down the creosote that came through the paint causing it to fade. The exterior base she used originally didn't prevented this. Unfortunately the Kill didn't stop the creosote either and instead of fading, the paint chalked so using telephone poles really isn't recommended.

Lake Side of Wings

The primer and paint on the cedar wings held up much better than the paint on the telephone pole sections.

Back of Wings

Cathy made the back completely different than the front. The cedar was a nice smooth surface to paint on.

Back Not Carved

Even though the back isn't carved, the black outlines make it look like it is and also make the new brighter color pop.

Totee's Front

Totee's Back

After approximately 70 hours of work on Totee...perhaps Cathy was tired or had breathed in too many paint fumes. The orange on the Fox is a new color for Totee. All Tottee needs now are his wings and his noses if Cathy will part with the Eagle's nose.

On Thanksgiving Day, our Grandsons carried Totee into the yard still in pieces.

Totee was bolted together using an extra bolt in a new location because of to large crack that had developed. The crack had been bolted together and filled with caulk. His upper wings and noses were attached.

Wings Attached

Totee Assembled

Up Totee Goes

Later, it took the help of some friends to erect him and attach him to the base with more metal straps and bolts.

Alignment

He was remarkably straight and needed only a very thin shim to make him 100% perpendicular to the ground.

Thanks, Guys

His lower wings were attached and the installation was complete on 12/02/11.

Totee said, "I'm back".

Front

Back

Totem Pole Symbols and Their Meanings

Front:

Thunderbird - A mythological bird known to manifest the rolling of thunder while beating its wings and creating lightening when blinking it's eyes.
Human Face - A symbol to ward off evil spirits as well as to represent wishes for prosperity and well-being.
Frog - Known for bringing wealth.
Bear - A teacher symbol as it is believed that Bear taught the People to catch salmon and pick berries.
Eagle - Intelligent and resourceful. He rules the sky and is able to transform himself into a human.

New Back

Human Face - A symbol to ward off evil spirits as well as to represent wishes for prosperity and well-being.
Owl - Very respected animal and is thought to symbolize the souls of the departed.
Salmon - Symbolizes instinct, persistence, and determination.
Fox - Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shape-shifting and invisibility.
Whale - Honored as strong and brave. The mythology of the killer whale is that is will bring food and assistance to a chief or other important person lying helpless and/or wounded.
Turtle - Nurturer, shy, and protecting.
Raven - The mercurial trickster of Northwest Coast Native lore. Curious and mischievous, often misbehaving but never boring.

Colors Have Meanings

- White - Symbolized the skies and spacious heavens. It also stood for purity, peace, and death.
- Red - Generally this color stands for blood, war or valor.
- Orange - A laughing color, orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow.
- Yellow - The symbol of the sun, light and happiness.
- Blue - Stands for sincerity and happiness.
- Green - Represents the earth, the hills, the trees, and mountains.
- Purple - Stood for mountains in the distance and general conventionalized signs.
- Black - As a rule stood for power.

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