 |
| Mother Nature has begun the slow process of returning the poles to the earth |
Nobody knows exactly
when the First Nation tribes of the Northwest American coastline began to carve
these beautiful poles. They can depict many things such as clan
affiliations and social rank. They would
commemorate a potlatch, be positioned at the entrance to a home, or be a
memorial or grave marker among other things.
 |
| The front portion of a whale carved in the 1930s |
Where was the first one constructed? When?
We’ll never know these answers but we do know they were seen when the
European explorers first visited back in the 1700s. And it seems certain that it was done
somewhere between, say, the current cities of Seattle and Anchorage, and most likely somewhere on the
coastline midway between these two cities. If you have perhaps sailed the "Inside Passage" don't suppose you have seen the most authentic, historic portion of it. There are numerous Haida, Tlingit and other tribal villages here with a much longer history.
I was fortunate enough to spend
part of a day at Klawock, Alaska recently,
observing the carving of and learning more about these spectacular totem
poles. Klawock is considered the “mother
village” of the Tlingit tribe (commonly pronounced “ Klinkit”). The culture of
totem carving is on the rise here as many of the tribe members are striving to
re-incorporate into their lives some of the values and traditions of their
ancestors. Their oral history tells them
they have been here for well over 5,000 years, maybe double that time, and some of the aspects of the lives of their
ancestors certainly bear emulating!
Mid-August was a special and
historic time for the Tlingits of Klawock.
In centuries past, they would migrate to Klawock from their northern home at Tuxekan during the
summer for fishing. There were a number
of totem poles at Tuxekan . Since a pole
typically has a “life” of about 80 years,
during the 1930s the government (via the civilian conservation corps) hired
Tingits to recreate the Tuxekan poles and install them at what is now Totem
Pole Park in Klawock.
 |
| A young carver working on a totem pole for the August pole raising |
 |
| One of the newer poles at the park in Klawock |
These poles have recently been
replicated once more, third generation
true copies, and mid-August the final
five were raised during a potlatch. Now
the number is again 21 and the prior poles, which lay on the ground near
the carving shed, have an undecided
fate. As of July, the Tlingits at Klawock haven’t
yet come to agreement as to whether to keep,
dispose or let Mother Nature have her way. But because of the new generation of carvers,
they may be going, going, gone, but they won’t be forgotten.
This was one wonderful day of a wilderness cruise in the Inside Passage which skipped the commonly visited ports in favor of uninhabited places and this lovely stop at Klawock, where we learned so much about their long and admirable heritage.
My commercial: If you are interested in the art of the
northwestern natives of the US and Canada I would love to help you plan a trip
to view the art, in and out of museums, and perhaps you will discover the
perfect piece for your home or yard. Or, if you want to see the wilderness that very few outsiders visit, give me a call. These are places that you will never see on a large ship.
My other commercial: Some of the finest of the cruise lines are
offering special incentives for booking cruises due to sail before the end of
the year, with lower fares and/or onboard spending credits. Need a last
minute vacation? Call me at
888-857-7379!
