THE TOTEMS OF THE HAIDA.....SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA...

     THE HAIDA WERE OUTSTANDING CARVERS. BECAUSE THE COUNTRY PROVIDED AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF TALL, RED CEDAR TREES, THEY EXCELLED IN CARVING VERY HIGH COLUMNS.. THE HAIDA CARVERS USED THE WHOLE WIDTH OF THE TREE TRUNK AND CARVED HEADS OVER WIDE SHOULDERS AND HIPS. THE SURFACES OF THE HAIDA TOTEMS ARE COVERED WITH INTRICATELY ARRANGED FIGURES OF SEVERAL SIZES. SMALL ANIMALS AND IMAGINARY CREATURES WERE CARVED IN EARS AND BETWEEN THE LIMBS OF LARGER ONES. A HAIDA CARVER SELDOM REPEATED THE ARRANGEMENT OF LIMBS AND NEVER REPEATED TWO FIGURES , AS DID OTHER LINGUISTIC GROUPS.