Learning the Meaning of Totem Poles, Saxman Totem Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

During our brief stop in Ketchikan, Alaska, we visited the Totem Heritage Centre – housing the  learned about the various types of totem poles and its history.
largest collection of salvaged totem parts in Alaska.

With his strong desire to learn about indigenous cultures, J. suggested that we hailed a taxi taking us to the Saxman Native Village.

This is a Tlingit village with about 500 residents.

We purchased our admission ticket from the park entrance station and the young man there was very helpful and patiently explaining to us where to go and the history of the village.

There was a collection of twenty totem poles, each with a different story.

We visited the clan house where between 6 – 7 families shared their dwelling place together.










Now the clan house is used as a theater where performances and dances are held for visitors.

We also met a totem pole master carver.

We learned a lot about the totem poles, its significance in the native traditions and their' use as a tool for passing the native's oral history and stories from generation to generation. It was fantastic and informative!

J. enjoyed meeting and talking to the two indigenous young men and learning from them first hand about their cultures and customs.

Types of Totem Poles

It was interesting learning about the different types of Totem poles at the Totem Heritage Centre and at the Saxman Village.

Carved to honour a person, special events & occasion, totem poles were carved for reasons as follows:

      Memorial Poles -   To remember an important clan member who passed away. The person chosen to succeed  the deceased leader could not assume leadership until he had commissioned a totem pole honouring the events and lineage of his predecessor. 

Shame or Ridicule Poles - A pole erected publicly to discredit one who broke his words or behaved dishonourably  e.g. the Totem pole we saw at the Saxman Native Village where a Totem pole was originally made to honour Seward whose carved figure was sitting prominently on top of the pole.

 However,  as he nor his descendants failed to repay their debts to the people, the nose and ears of his figure were later painted red to shame him for his debts owed .

House Posts or Pillars  - carved with family history. Could be a part of the clan house structure.

Heraldlic or Crest Poles - Placed in front of a clan house with the crests displaying the matrilineal designation. Crests also showed geographical origin, family events and history.

Mortuary Poles - When a person of high status died.


















We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the native village and learned a lot about the culture and customs of the people indigenous to this area.

     

R.T.
Saxman Totem Park

Ketchikan, Alaska

USA

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