The original inspiration for this piece was the Totem Pole of the Kwakiutl and Salish Nations, as well as other tribes of the northwest coast. Totem Poles themselves contain a wealth of information relating to the local clan's tribal affilitions, ancestry and which myths are regarded as significant in the memory of each clan. The Life Tower here depicted contains a simple image of a human being, an Earth Goddess giving forth waters of life and the soul of the human in various incarnations.