Among the best-loved sights in British Columbia is the cluster of totem poles at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The carvings themselves are the work of several First Nations artists, yet the figures they portray come from much older stories and crests. Every year the poles draw many thousands of visitors, who stroll among them and photograph the brightly painted figures. Nearby shops sell goods inspired by the designs, including small carved replicas so that travellers can take a piece of the art home. The poles are also showcased in guided tours led by Indigenous interpreters in the heart of the city.

The totem pole has held meaning for the peoples of the Pacific Northwest for centuries. The tall cedar poles are challenging to read for an outsider, but once a guide explains the crests, you are hooked into the stories they tell. A pole is not a religious object, as many tourists assume; rather, it records the lineage, rights, and history of a family or clan. The figures carved into the cedar, such as the raven, the bear, and the thunderbird, each carry a particular meaning. Like a written record, a pole was raised to mark an important event, and the raising itself was accompanied by a great feast.