Handedness in the Kwakiutl Totem Poles: An Exception to 50 Centuries of Right-Handedness

Abstract

A survey of handedness in Kwakiutl Indian totem and house poles found 56% bihandedness, 24% left-handedness, and 20% right-handedness. These findings are in marked contrast to other research findings on artforms, which show about 90% right-handedness. In the previous studies no systematic variation in the incidence of right-handedness was found across time eras, cultures, or geographic location. This apparent consistency was interpreted as supporting an hypothesis that right-handedness is universal and physiological. However, the present authors' findings with regard to Kwakiutl handedness clearly refutes the notion of universal right-handedness in artforms. In the current Kwakiutl population, there is a strong indication that sociocultural and environmental factors may also strongly influence the expression of handedness.