The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Totem pole \To"tem pole\ or Totem post \To"tem post\
   A pole or pillar, carved and painted with a series of totemic
   symbols, set up before the house of certain Indian tribes of
   the northwest coast of North America, esp. Indians of the
   Koluschan stock.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

totem pole
    n 1: a tribal emblem consisting of a pillar carved and painted
         with totemic figures; erected by Indian tribes of the
         northwest Pacific coast