Final answer:
Totem poles in the Pacific Northwest represent ancestors and supernatural beings, encapsulating clan identities, social structures, and relationship with nature, as exhibited by artists like Edenshaw and Ellen Neel despite historical challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the richly diverse Pacific Northwest, clans identified themselves with supernatural beings, which were often represented on totem poles. Totem poles served not just as an art form, but as a medium for passing down stories and maintaining the cultural identity of clans amidst adversity, such as the banning of totem pole ceremonies in the 1850s due to smallpox and Canadian governmental policies. Indigenous artists like Edenshaw and Ellen Neel persevered by carving model totem poles and professionally crafting larger totems, respectively. These carvings captured the essence of their ancestors and the natural world, with creatures like the raven, salmon, eagle, and bear holding profound cultural significance. Totem poles conveyed complex narratives and social hierarchies, and were used for a variety of purposes from celebration to remembrance, underscored by Ellen Neel's and Bartow's contributions to this revered tradition.