What is a sub-group of Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in which David A. Boxley identifies with?
David A. Boxley David Albert Boxley (born 1952) is an American artist from the Tsimshian, an indigenous people in southeast Alaska. He is best known for carving totem poles.
Totem pole Totem poles are monumental carvings, a type of Northwest Coast art, consisting of poles, posts or pillars, carved with symbols or figures. They are usually made from large trees, mostly western red cedar, by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America (Washington, Oregon, and Canada's western province, British Columbia). The word "totem" derives from the Algonquian (most likely Ojibwe) word "odoodem" [oˈtuːtɛm ], "(his) kinship group". The carvings may symbolize or commemorate cultural beliefs that recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. The poles may also serve as functional architectural features, welcome signs for village visitors, mortuary vessels for the remains of deceased ancestors, or as a means to publicly ridicule someone. They may embody a historical narrative of significance to the people carving and installing the pole. Given the complexity and symbolic meanings of totem pole carvings, their placement and importance lies in the observer's knowledge and connection to the meanings of the figures and the culture in which they are embedded.