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Man Wearing a Bear Hat
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Man Wearing a Bear Hat

A tour guide leads a group of visitors on a tour of Totem Bight. a totem park near Ketchikan, AK. The Tlingit grave marker pole they are looking at depicts a man from the Bear clan wearing a carved wooden hat with painted whales and a bear’s head on top. The hat was worn at potlaches and other important events. This pole was carved by Israel Shotridge in 1995. It is a replica of an earlier version.

AlaskaKetchikan TotemsTotem BightTotems

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  • This pole serves two purposes. First, it is a genealogical record of four house groups and serves as a memorial to them. Although not visible in this photo, an eagle at the top of the pole symbolizes the Eagle Claw House. This is followed by two beavers representing the Beaver Dam House and the Beaver Tail House. The bottom beaver seen here can be identified by the cross hatched black tail. The face at the bottom of the pole symbolizes the fourth group, the Giant Rock Oyster House.<br /> <br /> The second purpose of this pole is to tell a story - a sad story. Tricia Brown, in her guidebook of Totem Bight, refers to totem poles as "Silent Storytellers." The story behind this pole is how the Giant Rock Oyster house got its name. While searching for devilfish, the figure crouching beside the pole put his hand in a crevice and a giant devilfish grabbed it When his companions were unable to extricate him they went for help, but when they returned the tide had come in and drowned him.
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  • Interior wall carving in Potlach Park near Ketchikan. This magnificent carving is about 10 feet tall, is located in a longhouse and was carved by Brita Alander, a female Haida Native American of the Eagle Clan. Potlach Park is a relatively new totem park. Brita carved many (most?) of the totems and other artwork at Potlach Park.
  • Carving by Brita Alander of a woman crouched next to a bentwood box. Located on the exterior of a longhouse at Potlach Park near Ketchikan.
  • Totem figure at Potlach Park near Ketchikan.
  • This ancient totem pole is on display near the entrance to the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan. The Totem Heritage Center is a museum operated by the City of Ketchikan. In addition to displaying ancient totems, it also offers classes in the arts and crafts of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures.
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