  Karen
and Lee Duquette
in Totem Bight State Park in Ketchikan, Alaska
May 25, 2004 |
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BELOW: The
Mystical Thunderbird Totem Pole - The intent
of the carving is to illustrate the mythological conception
of thunder.
Thunder is created by the beating of the the bird's wings,
and lightening is created by the blink of its eyes. This
huge bird lives high on the mountain.
The whale at the base of the pole symbolizes the mountain
top where the bird rests before devouring it pray. It
is said that whale bones may be found on many mountain
tops as they have been carried there from ages past. |
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BELOW: Raven of the Head of Nass:
Copied from a Tlingit pole on Tongass Island, a
chief in a spruce root dance hat tops the pole.
At the base is the chief, Raven-at-the-head-of-Nass, from
whom Raven stole daylight.
The small human figure represents ancestors of the Raven
clan who were benefited by the theft.
The space between the top figure and the figures below represents
high regard held for the chief. |
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| Below: Man wearing Bear Hat:
This Tlingit grave marker was copied from Cat Island by
Tlingit carver Charles Brown. In 1995, Israel Shotridge
carved a second replica. It depicts a man of the Bear clan
wearing a large carved wooden hat surrounded on the brim
by painted whales. The hat was worn at a potlatch or an
important occasion during which stories were told or dramatized. |
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| BELOW: Thunderer's Pole:
The original of this totem was at Tongass Island and it
symbolizes Thunder, belonging to the Thunder House people.
Four brothers were changed into Thunderers. Like the Thunderbird,
they create thunder and lightening and live high in the
sky and on the mountain tops. |
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Below: Master Carver
Pole: This pole was designed and carved by John
Wallace. It was set up in 1941. The Eagle at the top of
the pole is the main crest of the Haida Eagle Clan. Other
Eagle clan symbols following the main crest are the Beaver
and Bullhead. |
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Water view |
skunk cabbage
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Building of The Clanhouse
started in 1939 and was completed in 1941. |
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| The Clan House is a replica of a community
house representative of houses built in the early nineteen-century
native villages of Southeast Alaska. It served as the chieftains
dwelling and it also housed several families that were part
of his clan. The structure and its totem art did not originally
exist on the current site. The site was a fish camp prior
to being turned into a totem park. The decorating of the
facade was created by Charles Brown. It represents a stylized
raven figure painted in light blue and brown colors. The
eyes of the raven are composed as two stylized faces. Such
elaborate decorations were rare for clan houses and typically
suggest significant wealth. A central post divides the facade
and marks the low entrance, while two additional posts mark
the corners and flank the front of the structure. Sitting
on the corner posts, a man figure wearing a spruce root
hat and a crest design on his face, holds a cane and appears
ready for a dance or potlatch |
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The central room of the
house can fit 50 people. It has a fireplace shared by
all living in the dwelling. The families were of the same
lineage as the chieftain, and were allotted separate parts
of the dwelling. Belongings were stored under the removable
floorboards. |
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The door is
small and requires everyone to stoop over. This conserves
heat and also made it easy to kill enemies that might
try to enter. |
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| Below: In many parts of Alaska, rain water
is caught in barrels and purified for their drinking water.
If they go without rain for a long period of time, they
have to bring in drinking water in by ships, which is very
expensive. |
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Below: Views outside of
The Clanhouse |
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Below: Inside Alaska Totem
Trading gift store |
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Below: Buses and a tourist
ride |
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| Below: Lining up to reboard the Norwegian
Sun as two giant Bald Eagles welcomed the passengers. |
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