Kasaan Whale House Rededication Postcard

The previous post told a little about the Whale House Rededication and Kasaan. Please enjoy more photos of the event in this post.

Haida drummers dance and sing at the Whale House Rededication Ceremony.

Hand painted canoe paddles on the dock at the harbor.

Men stand at the prow of their canoe at the Whale House Rededication ceremony. Humor is an important part of Haida culture, and there was a lot of laughter at the celebration.

Alaska Native canoe prow.

Cedar bark hats (and cell phones taking photos) were everywhere!

Harley's drum has seen a lot of use!

There was a big crowd at the Whale House. The frontal totem in this photo is huge and towers over 50 feet high.

A dancer on the beach enjoyed the singing and drumming.

The Haida dancers sang and drummed as they danced their way around the longhouse.

Totem poles at the Kasaan Totem Park next to the Whale House.

Inside the Whale House there are three totem poles that tell Haida stories.

These totem poles are over a century old.

This beautiful Haida woman stood by the canoe that she helped paddle to the ceremony in Kasaan.

Paddles raised, the Haida people wait to go ashore.

Kasaan Celebrates the Whale House Restoration

A Haida canoe arriving at Kasaan, Alaska.

Drumbeats resound through the forest as I make my way along the Kasaan Totem Trail to the Whale House. The Haida singers’ voices, rhythmic and strong, fill the trees. The easy trail is wide and flat, and soon there is a view of the beach through the forest fringe. I can see large canoes at the waterline, along with a throng of people. They are singing traditional Haida songs, proud and happy that Chief Son-I-Hat’s Whale House is rebuilt after three years of work, and welcoming visitors who had traveled far to be here.

The pretty Totem Trail from Kasaan to the Whale House is well groomed and easy.

Chief Son-I-Hat John McAllister greeting arriving visitors.

The village of Kasaan lies along a south-facing shore on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Home to around 75 people, it is usually a quiet place. On September 3, 2016, though, it was bustling with Native people from around Alaska and western Canada as well as tourists and vendors. Seaplanes and tour boats brought people to Kasaan. The line of parked cars along the single gravel road into town was so long that a shuttle bus ferried vehicle occupants to and from their cars. Everyone enjoyed a day of Haida celebration and they were treated to a generous dinner that included some of the traditional Haida foods.  Graced by excellent weather, the song-filled ceremony created a buoyant atmosphere. This was a celebration of history and renewal.

Dancers standing by their canoes during the ceremony.

Haida Chief Son-I-Hat’s Whale House was first built in 1880 , rebuilt in 1938, and then rebuilt again over the last three years by a dedicated team of four. Gitajang (Glen “Stormy” Hamar), and apprentices St’igiinii (Harley Holter-Bell), Nang K’adangaas (Eric Hamar), and wooshdeiteitxh (Justin Henricks) took on the project and saw it through. They painstakingly refurbished salvageable parts of the historic building, and then replaced the rest using traditional materials and methods. Their dedication shows in each hand-adzed plank making up the 45 by 45 foot clan house. Their efforts were backed by the Organized Village of Kasaan, Kavilco Incorporated, and the Kasaan Haida Heritage Foundation.

This is the Whale House during the restoration work in 2014.

The longhouse in 2016 just before the work was complete.

Haida dancers during the Whale House Rededication Ceremony.

Inside of the building the two carved house posts that depict supernatural creatures are the originals, having survived since 1880 in this coastal temperate rainforest. The Head House Totem in the center of the wall is older yet. It was moved to Kasaan from an earlier clan house, but no one knows exactly how old it is.

Inside the clan house are the three original totems.

Pathways near the Whale House lead to tall totem poles tucked among the trees. They represent stories and history. These totems are showing signs of age, though. Insect damage has caused parts of the totems to break off, and small trees have taken root on the poles. Impermanence is part of the nature of totem poles, and new Haida totems are being carved and erected.

Some of the totems in the park are showing signs of age. New totems are being carved at the carving shed in Kasaan.

The drumming and dancing continues as I walk the sun-dappled trail back to Kasaan. Where the trail opens to the village there is a long totem carving shed. Inside the building carvers are transforming a massive cedar log into an intricate new totem pole. I was welcomed with smiles and the carvers were happy to share information about their work. Through the summer visitors can see carving demonstrations daily and learn carving techniques every Friday.

In the small community of Kasaan there is a gift store, but no grocery store. The Totem Trail Café next to the carving shed is open during summer for breakfast and lunch. Gas and diesel are available only from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Smiles and friendly greetings from residents are available in Kasaan every day, and make the most fulfilling reason to visit. While you are there stroll down Totem Trail and visit the Whale House and totem park. Maybe you’ll hear drumbeats and song echoing through the trees.

Kasaan, Alaska

Tomorrow I will share more photos of Kasaan and the Whale House Rededication!

Alaska Beachcomber

See more Alaska Native posts in the Alaska Native Culture Index

Totem Poles at Saxman Native Village

Residents walk home surrounded by totem poles on a late winter day in Saxman, Alaska.

Imagine walking through your neighborhood surrounded by tall sculptures; artworks that tell about your history, your relatives, your stories; visual reminders of relationships, important people, and events. The residents of Saxman enjoy this life treasure, as the Saxman Village Totem Park stands along two central streets: Totem Row, Koote`eyaa, and Killer Whale Avenue, Ke`et .

As you have now gathered, totem poles have many meanings. Some of the types of poles are clan crests, mortuary poles, story poles, memorial poles, and house posts. In the past there were even shame or ridicule poles. They were very public announcements that someone behaved dishonorably. Those poles would be removed and destroyed if the offending person made amends.

The Beaver Clan House in Saxman Native Village. In the summer the Cape Fox Dance Group may be seen here.

A totem pole taking form in the carving shed at Saxman Alaska

Tradition defined some of the times that a totem pole would be commissioned. When the pole was completed and raised the story of it's significance was told, and then retold at events and gatherings.

Totem poles are not made to last forever. It is part of the plan that these works will respond to the natural way; to decompose and return to the earth.

Eye detail of a totem pole that is resting on the ground. Traditional formline designs portray human and animal features,

This bear totem is a reproduction carved by Donald Varnell, who says that he likes to "push the form." He brings in strong relief, lively curves, and an animated tension to his work.

Each carver follows traditional formline designs and then lends their own distinctive style within cultural bounds.

Many of the totem poles in Saxman Native Village were carved by Nathan Jackson, an internationally recognized master carver.

The Beaver Clan House at Saxman shows that artwork and communication in the Tlingit culture are integrated with daily life. Buildings are supported by, and adorned with, symbols of the society's customs and knowledge. Even everyday tools and objects are made into artworks that express Native culture.

There are tours of the Saxman Village Totem Park in the summer, as well as Native dancing and storytelling.

To learn more about totem poles you can also visit the Totem Heritage Center in downtown Ketchikan, just a few miles north of Saxman. There you will find an amazing collection of 19th century totem poles, objects and artwork, historical photographs, and excellent interpretive and educational signage.

Each of these totems tells stories. Nothing that I could write here to try to convey those stories would be accurate or appropriate. It is worth it to spend some time, get a feel of the place, look with your eyes and heart, and listen for what the totems are saying. But go in the summer, when the snow is off of the ground and the trees are leafed out. It is even nicer then!

Alaska Beachcomber

You may also enjoy a post on master carver Nathan Jackson.

To see more on Alaska Native Culture to to the Alaska Native Culture Index page!