More importantly Aaron Glass will be giving a talk on the history of the Totem Pole as an iconic object next Sunday. Since the first European contact the totem has progressively come to symbolize Native American culture as a whole - as if it had preserved all the qualities of a culture and tradition lost. Problematizing the issue Glass will touch upon the changes the totem underwent since early colonialism and the reasons for its now cult status (in theme parks, in fashion - see image - or within more serious repatriation and heritage issues).
Glass is an anthropologist teaching material culture at the Bard Graduate Center in NYC, where he is also a museum fellow.
The talk will be given October 24th at the Observatory Room at 543 Union Street (near Nevins) in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
It's 5$ (800 times less than the dress) and will convince you how stupid the dress is too.
... Afterthoughts: Totem and Taboo
Among the many things I gathered at last night's talk: 1913 Freud publishes "Totem and Taboo", Totemism in 1960s scholarship, more totem poles went up between 1970 and 2000 than from 1870 and 1900, the white man's fur trade in the late 18th century brought new more efficient tools and glues and better brighter paints, 1937 Disney comes out with Snow White:
