A totem pole is carved and painted log, mounted vertically, constructed by the native people of the north-western coast of the US and Canada. They come in seven main kinds: memorial poles; grave markers; house posts; portal poles; welcoming poles; mortuary poles; and ridicule poles. A totem is a sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people.
Photo: Botanic Garden, Cambridge, April 2018