STORY OF THE POLE

This is the story of a particular pole that can be seen in front of the Crooked Tree Arts Council in Petoskey. One starts at the base and works up when reading a Totem Pole. According to stories of old, this is the way things happened. Much water flowed, and after the great flood there was hardly anything alive. The animal brothers were looking for someplace to land and rest. Wah-zhushk (Muskrat) volunteered to go to see if he could get some dirt. Much time passed, and it looked bad for Wah-zhushk, (Muskrat). As the other animals looked, they soon saw Wah-zhushks (Muskrat's) body floating on the surface with dirt clutched in his paws. Wah-zhushk (Muskrat) gave his life so that the rest could have some place to live. The A-nish-na-bek (Indian people) went through a ceremony, putting the dirt on She-keh's (Turtle's) back; then the A-nish-na-bek summoned the four winds, and they blew hard distributing the dirt which then became the world of today. Next came Maen-gun (Wolf) who was the original companion to man. Then there was Maw-kwa (Bear) who is the everything on the Mother Earth. The Me-gee-se (Eagle) is at the top. Protector. He is the messenger to Grandfather, watching over us to see that we follow and do the traditional things learned long ago.