Both, he did something bad bases on his beliefs
The Lowell Mill Girls represented all that women were capable of and just how strong they could be at a time when that was not fully recognized. You could say the "trend in society" they represented was the increasing spotlight on women and women's issues.
In general, "totem poles" and "wigwams" were characteristics of the Northwest Indian cultures, since there were no buffalo in the region. Of course these traditions varied slightly with the tribe in question.