All over the United States, Camp Fire Councils have used totem poles to tell the story of our organization's success. Years ago Chief Lelooska at Kalama carved our pole using plans submitted by Blue Birds and Camp Fire members to tell our council's history. Lower Columbia Council donated the totem pole to the City of Longview, Washington where it is located downtown at Commerce and Broadway Avenues.
Legend
A prestige hat at the top indicates Camp Fire has been in the community a long time, it means honor and that we have skills.
The person figure represents leadership and shelters the figure of a child which stands for all the girls and boys in our organization.
A real little Blue Bird represents our Blue Birds boys and girls.
The Bear reminds us of the first Camp Nisaki at Spirit Lake. The name Nisaki is from the Indian Chippewa language meaning lake at the foot of the mountain.
The frog is for Camp Nisaki at Silver Lake and now Camp Singing Wind at Toledo.
Then comes Hyda Beaver. He was a favorite of the Northwest Coast Indian. He represents industry and hard work. Legends say he is Mother Nature's only engineer and woodcarver. Beaver holds a salmon in his teeth representing the work of many Camp Fire people to give us our Salmon Creek Camp. Salmon is also the figure for immortality, because Salmon returned every year to feed the people and they, in turn, returned his bones to the field or stream, and according to the legend he arose and came again bringing food.
Immortality or the spiritual emphasis portrays the first tenant of Camp Fire Law "Worship God."
