Visiting Ketchikan, Alaska and Its Fascinating Totem Poles

Alaska offers a wealth of natural beauty and rich cultural sites to explore.  Although it can be difficult to reach Alaska from the "lower 48", one delightful method  of transportation is via cruise ship.  Sailing near the shoreline, passengers and crew are awed by the wonder of this beautiful state and its breathtaking fjords and glaciers.

Arriving by cruise ship


Ketchikan - One of the lovely ports enjoyed on most Inside Passage cruises is Ketchikan, a small town of only 8,000 people.  It has a rich history due to the natives and pioneers who settled the area, as well as the miners, lumbermen, and fishermen.  Cedar, spruce and hemlock trees tower over the temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest.  

Ketchikan

Outdoor adventures abound in the charming town of Ketchikan, such as salmon or deep sea fishing, hiking Deer Mountain, or sightseeing from a float plane in the Misty Fjords National Monument, where glacier-sculpted fjords rise to 3,000 feet.  Wildlife often seen by visitors includes black bears, deer, wolves and bald eagles, as well as whales, otters and sea lions on whale-watching trips. 
                               
Totem Poles - A very large influence on the area's history were three different tribes of Natives, and their legacy is evident in the largest collection of totem poles in the world.  Totems, skillfully carved by these native artists, use symbolic characters carved on tall poles.  Totem poles were not worshipped, but were silent storytellers as there was no written language. 
      
Of all the sightseeing and activity options available on our cruise port day in Ketchikan, we chose to spend several hours exploring the Native culture.  Ketchikan has some of the oldest totem poles in existence today, most scattered throughout town, at the Totem Heritage Center, and at several totem parks. Totem Bight State Historical Park is just one location where there is a large display of Native Americans' totems, and we selected to visit it due to its usual lack of crowds.

Totem Bight State Historical Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

The Story of Totem Bight - In the early 1900's, Natives left their traditional  villages and totem poles to find work elsewhere.   What they abandoned was soon overgrown and eroded.   In 1938 , the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) hired skilled older Native carvers to  reconstruct these large cedar monuments.  Young artisans learned to carve totem poles, and totems left to rot in the woods were repaired or duplicated.

An Alaskan architect supervised construction of Totem Bight's model Native village.  Old pole portions were laid beside fresh cedar logs and were traditionally copied.   Natural paints were created from clam shells, lichen, graphite, copper pebbles, and salmon eggs; natural colors were then duplicated with modern paints.  The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Totem Bight Park

The Clan House - Several related families, overseen by one chief, shared the Clan House as living quarters.   A community house of this size could contain 30 to 50 people.  This design is typical of many early 19th century Indian villages. 

Clan House and Totem

The painting on the front of the Clan House is a Raven with eyes made into a face.  Designs on house fronts were only for wealthy clans. 

The interior of the Clan House is one large room with a fireplace in the center, surrounded by a platform.  The guide pictured below explained that each family occupied its own space but shared the fireplace.   Housewares and personal items  were kept  beneath the floor boards, and food was hung from the beams.  The totems that uphold the beams are representative of a particularly strong native man.

Ketchikan Tourism - There are many other interesting sites and activities in Ketchikan.  We spent the second half our our day enjoying the touristy but fun Creek Street, one of the most popular attractions in town.  A wooden boardwalk raised above the creek links historical buildings.  There are many shops and artisan stores, spotlighting the work of local carvers, weavers, jewelry designers, painters, and sculptors.  We  bought a mid-weight jacket embroidered with "Alaska" on Creek Street, and it was of very good quality for a reasonable price.

Historical Creek Street - Other tourist favorites include a  tour of a 1930's restored cannery that tells the background of the “Canned Salmon Capital of the World.”  The lumbering  history of the abundant forests is demonstrated in an old-fashioned lumberjack logging competition.  Visit the  Tongass Historical Museum, and for those who love the arts, Ketchikan has a very active Native arts community of weavers, carvers, and dancers.

We enjoyed our day in friendly Ketchikan very much, and would be happy to return to experience more of all that it has to offer.

Have you visited Ketchikan?  What did you enjoy doing there?  I'd love to hear your stories in the Comments section below.  Visit my Facebook Group, Traveling Through This World, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/758160294390257/.