Totem Poles of Alaska!
The pictures on this page of my blog were all taken on my trip by me or
(if I am in the picture) by someone in my family. Enjoy!
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Ketchikan, Alaska is known for its Native American Totem Poles.
They are so plentiful in this town that you can't walk more than a couple of blocks at a time without seeing one.
There are many guided and self-guided tours, as well as museums that showcase this beautiful art.
Totem Poles were made by many different Native American tribes. The most notable tribes were the Tsimshian, the Haida, and the Tlingit.
Most were done in the 1800's with the last of them completed in the very early 1900's.
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Totem Poles were made for different reasons by different tribes. Some made them as tributes or memorials to those who had died. Some tell stories of how they believe things in nature happened, like how the earth was created or the sun was put into the sky. Others show the heirarchy that existed within the tribe. While still others show the prosperity of certain villages.
Most of the totem poles in town are the original poles found abandoned in nearby villages. These originals are also housed in the Totem Heritage Center
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Other totems on the various walking tours, The Saxman Native Village and also the Totem Bight State Historic Park are replicas that have been painstakingly reproduced from the originals.
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I find the symbolism of each of animals and the position on the poles to be most interesting - did you find any information on that in your search?
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