Totem Pole Totem poles, each carved from a single cedar trunk, are among the largest works created by Northwest Coast artists. Traditionally, free standing poles were placed before houses to proclaim the identity and status of the owners. Totem poles were carved and decorated with paint to display the owners' family history, ancestors and crests. Other types of carved poles include the house posts that hold up the beams of the house and mortuary poles that hold the remains of the deceased in a box at the top.