Beebe Hill: Represents the public's desire for quiet and comfort, preferring the disruption of the totem pole to be removed rather than acknowledged.
Walter Hooton: Represents the government's tendency to maintain the status quo, even if it means suppressing or ignoring Indigenous voices. He seeks to move the totem pole away, rather than incorporate it.
Larue Denny and Jimmy Represent the police and their role in enforcing the existing order, often without considering the underlying issues.
"Totem" by Thomas King is a story that explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the importance of understanding one's roots.
In this story, King uses the a totem, an object or symbol that represents a tribe or family, to show how people connect to their history and traditions.
The story encourages readers to think about how we define ourselves and how our past shapes who we are today.
Through relatable characters and simple language, King urges us to reflect on the stories we carry with us and the significance they hold in our lives.
In Totem, Beebe Hill notices strange noises coming from a totem pole at the Southwest Alberta Art Gallery and Prairie Museum. She complains to the gallery’s director, Walter Hooton, but he insists there is no totem pole on display.
After some investigation, they find it hidden in the corner, and Walter tries to move it. However, the pole won’t budge and seems stuck in the floor.
Despite efforts to cut it down with a chainsaw, the totem pole keeps making weird noises—first gargling, then grunting, shouting, and eventually singing.
As the story continues, the staff struggle to get rid of the pole, but no matter what they do, the totem pole remains and its noise becomes part of the gallery’s atmosphere. Walter eventually grows indifferent to the sounds, as they become background noise, though he is still annoyed.
The totem pole is more than just a piece of art; it symbolizes Indigenous culture, history, and the struggle for belonging and recognition in a dominant culture. Its "voices" or noises are a metaphor for the voices (both literally and metaphorically) of Indigenous peoples who are often ignored or silenced.
Thomas King is a prominent Canadian author of Cherokee and Greek descent, known for his insightful novels, essays, and stories that explore Indigenous culture, identity, and history.
His notable works include Green Grass, Running Water and The Inconvenient Indian, which blend humor, storytelling, and critical perspectives to challenge stereotypes and promote understanding of Indigenous peoples.
Recognized with many literary awards, King is also an accomplished academic and speaker, using his work to highlight Indigenous issues and the power of storytelling.
The story highlights the conflict between the museum workers' desire to maintain their space and comfort and the totem pole's insistence on being heard.
This reflects the broader conflict between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures in Canada, where Indigenous voices are often marginalized or silenced.
The story uses humor (irony) and exaggeration to critique the way Western society often ignores or dismisses Indigenous culture and history.
The unmoveable totem poles symbolize the persistent and uncomfortable truth of Indigenous presence and traditions that cannot be easily erased. The story puts colonization into a different perspectives that makes the topic easier to understand.
I remember when I was first learning about Indigenous culture at school, I too thought it was odd and hard to understand. I can relate to Mr. Hooton being slightly annoyed by it, as I was when I was younger and couldn't understand it