During our 2007 trip to Alaska, we stopped by a park to
check out the totems there.
The state moved several poles
from threatened locations, and assembled them here, to help
preserve them, and to make the assessable to the public
Some of the poles are over 100
years old. The paint used on the poles are gotten from
natural sources, which determines the familiar color schemes
The poles tell a story of a
history of a family or clan... this one is topped with the
arrival of the "tall hats", Europeans.
They face different
directions... one group were the Americans, the other were
the Russians
There were also many pictures
from the earlier times when 'traditional dress' was just
'dress'.
The Trail of the Poles was
very interesting
The Bald Eagle was a common
mask on several of the poles
The poles were typically
displayed in front of Clan longhouses
It was an interesting stop, to
be sure!
