Analysis Of Totem By Thomas King

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Recommended: The impact of colonization on indigenous people

Thomas King is the author of “Totem”. He is of Cherokee and Greek descent, and because of his citizenship devoted himself to the preservation of indigenous culture, land and status in his entire life. “Totem” is a great short story because its arguments are cleverly hidden in the article.
It states the importance of remembering one’s heritage and it also expresses the dissatisfaction with the government's attitude of handling the problems of people from First Nation which left over by history. The story happened in an art gallery which is featured with contemporary Canadian art, yet Beebe Hill, a museum staff felt annoyed about the noise that the totem pole made, as well as the director Walter. Thus they tried numerous ways in order to get rid of it, Walter even called in two men to cut it, but all failed. In the ensuing days, they just ignore it, …show more content…

In Canada, settlement question are always controversial, since European explorers came to Canada, Aboriginal people have been taken over by newcomers. “Totem” is a story that talks about how these newcomers in the art gallery treat totem poles to satirize how the outcome damaged the peaceful life of aboriginal people and how the government chose only to accept the problem but not wanted to actually solve the problem.

One of the biggest conflict in “Totem” is the unstoppable noise which the totem pole makes. The noise symbolize the harmonious life of first nations have, but foreigners seize their land and ruin their life, so it reflects that aboriginal people should get more help and respect. “Totem” begins with a show that happened in the art gallery which featured with contemporary Canadian art, but there is a noise that annoyed people a lot in the art gallery. According to the sentence, “She was annoyed, she told

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