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What are the colors of totem poles and their meanings?

In: Wood Crafts, Native American History [Edit categories]

Answer:

White=

White is used, along with other light colors, as a background and predominating shade.
As a rule it symbolized the skies and spacious heavens.
It also stood for purity, peace, and death

Red=

Generally Red stands for blood, war or valor.
Sometimes it is used as appears in nature, such as the crest of a red-headed woodpecker, the scarlet tanager or frequently the tongue of an animal.

Blue=

Blue was most commonly used as the symbol for the rivers, waters, and lakes, also the skies.
Certa
Blue stands for sincerity and happiness.
Berries formed a large portion of the natural materials for this color.

Yellow=

Yellow reflects the symbol of the sun, light and happiness.
The natural abundant materials made Yellow a very popular and predominating color.
Clays, tree moss, roots, and tannic barks furnished the natives with dyes.

Green=

It may easily be realized that Green represents the earth, the hills, the trees, and mountains, so common in all Indian legends.
Green is made by mixing two primary colors, Yellow and Blue, or it may be made from simple acid action on copper.
In certain sections of the west and northwest copper was rather abundant.
Other parts of the country used the juice of grasses

Purple=

Purple stood for mountains in the distance and general conventionalized signs
Huckleberries give a very good substance for dyeing, and the Indians commonly used them to make Purple.
Purple is an excellent color for recessed portions of the carving and for symbols of a reverent nature.

Black=

As a rule, Black stood for power
Mud from sulphur springs and other earth deposits made Black available to the Indian.

First answer by ID1152228667. Last edit by ID1152228667. Question popularity: 1 [recommend question].

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