Raven's Village: The Myths, Arts and Traditions of Native People from the Pacific Northwest Coast

This richly illustrated book recounts the stories behind the magnificent totem poles and traditional houses on display in the Grand Hall at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The stories that surround the human, animal and supernatural figures that appear on Native totem poles, in housefront paintings and in sculptures are vividly retold and interpreted according to their symbolic meaning. The importance of myths today is explored because myths represent archetypes, or patterns of life and thought, they are universally valid, and reveal the dynamic processes at work within the human psyche. Raven's Village gives insight into the traditional lifestyle of the six cultural groups represented in the exhibition - the Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Central Coast, Nuxalk, Haida and Tsimshian. The book also describes the reconstructed archaeological dig at the far end of the Grand Hall. The dig represents over 5,000 years of Native habitation, and illustrates many strong cultural traditions that continue to find expression in the modern world.

Includes bibliographical references.