Post #297881 by ikitnrev on Mon, Apr 9, 2007 1:39 PM

There may be another factor involved. Most of us are familiar with the similarities between the tiki of the Hawaii/South Pacific vein (and Hawaii becoming a state in 1959), and the totem pole of Alaska/North Pacific (and Alaska becoming a state in 1958)

I agree with Sven's observation, that the 1950's were a period of cultural zeitgeist. With both Alaska and Hawaii becoming states, the average American were open to welcoming the cultures of the new states into the U.S. For the average citizen, it might have been easier to accept both the tiki and the totem poles as new cultural icons - a form of 'two heads are better than one' - meaning that the presence and reemergence of both icons at the same time helped each to become more engrained in the collective U.S. culture.

I looked at the Wikipedia entry for 'totem pole', and learned that the totem pole did receive a revival in the 1950's ... and confirms the theory of the zeitgeist.

"Totem pole construction underwent a dramatic decline at the end of the 19th century due to American and Canadian urges towards Euro-American enculturation and assimilation. Fortunately, in the mid-twentieth century a combination of cultural, linguistic, and artistic revival along with intense scholarly scrutiny and the continuing fascination and and support of an educated and empathetic public led to a renewal and extension of this moribund artistic tradition."

I couldn't resist adding the following text, also from the Wikipedia totem pole entry. It brings to me more similarities between tiki and totem pole, and the theory of devolution. After reading this, I wonder if Basement Kahuna might have a twin brother, living in Alaska and trying hard to preserve the original totem styles.

" The appropriation by art and tourist trinket worlds of Northwest Coast American culture has resulted in, among other things, an inundation of cheap imitations of totem poles executed with little or no knowledge of the complex stylistic conventions demanded by Northwest Coast art. This proliferation of "totem junk" has diluted the public interest and respect for the artistic skill and deep cultural knowledge required to produce a pole."

Vern