JOY ALONG THE WAY: A TOTEM POLE CAN BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MURAL

I have said, in the presence of friends and assorted acquaintances, that I thought our town should have a totem pole. I've watched expressions and listened to comments. Some facial expressions have told me they think ~it an odd idea. Some smile tolerantly as if they've heard one more wild, foolish, eccentric suggestion. A few kindly support me and see the vision. Some even laugh outright at the preposterousness of the thought. Some demand, "Do you know what one of those authentic poles cost?" No, I don't. I suppose one of those towering poles erected by the native Indians along the western coast of British Columbia and southern Alaska were put into place by very rich chieftains. One, the tallest of all, is 173 feet high. Another has a girth of six feet at the base. I'm thinking in far less dimensions.

The first people here, along the banks of our stretch of the Mississippi, were Indians. Several of our parks are named for them: Capaha, Shawnee, Cherokee. There is the Osage Centre and nearby Trail of Tears Park with Princess Otaki's grave. Probably there are other Indian places and things I can't think of right now.

When I've been sufficiently squelched by facial expressions and words, I don't go on to explain that I really don't have in mind one of those monstrous northwest poles, all made of red cedar and hand carved with much detail. They speak of legends, tribal history, hunting triumphs etc. There are welcome, memorial and mortuary poles.

I once saw a totem pole near a St. Louis park and as I remember (we passed by quickly) it wasn't over 20 feet tall and was topped with an eagle or thunderbird as are so many totem poles. These, of course, are carved separately and pegged into place.

We have a distinguished wood carver in Cape, and we have a lot of trees that sometimes need to be removed or are storm-damaged or appear to be dying. Why not cut such a tree off about 20 feet from the ground and call in our wood carver to make us a handsome totem pole? Faces of former Indian tribes who passed through here could be carved along with heads of animals and birds familiar to our location. Maybe the faces of the town's founders or leaders. The faces of the coastal poles were enormous with out-sized eyes and fierce looking bears, beavers, lions, all with menacing teeth.

The best such tree would be a red cedar. But where is an available red cedar of any height around here? I think any other tree might do, say one or both of those handsome trees at the southwest corner of Capaha Park. Don't faint! I don't propose making totem poles of them yet. But what a splendid location! We could even plant a cedar somewhere nearby with some future totem pole in mind.

The authentic Indian poles were carved while they were lying on the ground and then erected with much ceremony and without modern cranes or other machinery. A potlatch always followed such a totem pole raising which was a feast for the whole community plus surrounding communities and lasted several days.

Our pole would already be erected if a topped, delimbed tree was used, and would be held in place by its roots. Properly treated, carved and painted it would last a long time. Then future generations could make another one if it was well received.

You are laughing! I don't think it any more amusing than a downtown golf course or a wall around the city.

REJOICE!

~Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime resident of Cape Girardeau.