... Beautiful view of a historical park dedicated to the totem pole history in the area... for both the Native Americans and settlers in Ketchikan, totem poles were a huge part of the culture... there are at least 14 restored and re-carved totems as well as a colorful Clan House... they are intricately detailed and hand carved, and are quite breathtaking... visitors can stroll through the rainforest to view the totems and learn the history of the area through these "silent storytellers," created to pass down stories from generation to generation.... a peaceful sanctuary paying homage to the indigenous Tlingit and Haida peoples of Southeast Alaska... Thanks a lot Ravindra!【ツ】
Photo: Michael M. Anderson
Totem Bight State Historical Park is a 13 ha state park sheltered
in a lush, temperate rainforest rich in Native
history and art, beaches with waterfront
views, and indigenous plants and animals.
With the growth of non-Native settlements in Southeast Alaska in the early 1900's, and the decline of a barter economy, Natives moved to communities where work was available. The villages and totem poles they left behind were soon overgrown by forests and eroded by weather. In 1938 the U.S. Forest Services began a program aimed at salvaging and reconstructing these large cedar monuments. By using Civilian Conservation Corps funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Natives, two things took place: young artisans learned the art of carving totem poles, and totems which had been left to rot in the woods were either repaired or duplicated.
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