Dragonflies and Totem Poles

I had read somewhere that the reason Pacific Northwest indigenous art is infused with so many geometric shapes is because they represent eyes. The First Nation people show eyes in everything. Eyes look out from the bodies of fish and the fins of whales. There’s eyes in the paws of bears and wolves. A totem pole is one big stack of eyes looking out on the world. It’s a beautifully animistic way of seeing the environment as immediate and alive. After staring long enough at indigenous art I’m beginning to see these eyes everywhere I look, in the leaves of trees and the shape of rear view mirrors.

This afternoon I found a dragonfly. Its long tail was the perfect depiction of a totem pole in miniature. This tiny creature spent its short life with its family tree on display, literally carrying its tribe’s history in tow. Striped in geometric black, muted blue and brown, the patterns and colors would make a Haida artist proud. And yep, it looked like a string of eyes.

As I held this brittle insect in my hands, was I looking at the original inspiration for the great totem poles? It is art imitating life, or the other way around? Maybe it’s just another example of the ever-present eyes that gaze out onto the world.