Stránka:roll 1931.djvu/252

236 Woodcraft Birch Bark Roll 7th. The Totem is usually meant for display at night or against a dark background; therefore it should be either in light colors, or on a light background. For our purpose there are two principal kinds of Totems: the silhouette carved out of wood, etc., and the emblem on the shield. If the design is to be in dark colors, it is better on a shield. If something white, silhouette is more man- ageable. Some complicated designs like Lightning or King-snake can scarcely be made in silhouette; they must be on a shield. The shield should be 12 or 14 inches across and when finished should everywhere have the marks of knife, never of saw. The exact mathematical circle of a scroll saw with its sharp edges is always ugly; whittle them off. The pole to carry the shield should be about 6 or 7 feet high, so as to hold the Totem well above the heads of the men; and it should never be a boughten, factory-turned, White Heran Man on Wie straight-edged, cross-grained rake handle, as one sometimés sees, but a real sapling cut in the woods, rather straight, peeled and trimmed smooth of knots and limbs, but showing all the little variations of surface and thickness that tell us it is the real thing, with the real grain running along the main line and therefore strong. I have added a number of totems to show the two types, silhouette and shield. Note that while Wiite Buffalo, White Heron or White Fox may be best in silhouette, the same ani- mals in any other color are best on a shield of which the background is white. The main thing is to have it clearly visible in the dim light of a Council fire, with the dark woods as a background. Canter