A Totem Graveyard, And Their Replacements

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!