• Saxman Totem Park - Saxman AK
    In 1938, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the Saxman Totem Park. The program was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service effort to employ Alaska Natives and conserve totems and Native cultural assets. Many of the poles that the CCC recovered from abandoned villages were found in an advanced state deterioration, which made conservation difficult. While restoration was the preferred approach, the CCC often opted for recarving, or partial recarving, if the pole could not be salvaged. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The master carver at Saxman was Charlie Brown. The park was designed along...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Dogfish Pole (Chief Ebbits) - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Dogfish Pole, also called the Chief Ebbits Pole, from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The totem was erected in 1892 in memory of Chief Ebbits, head chief of the Tongass, at Old Tongass Village. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Dogfish Pole: “The contrast in appearance between an unpainted and a painted pole was...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Giant Rock Oyster Pole - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Giant Rock Oyster Pole from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Giant Rock Oyster Pole: "On the Giant Rock Oyster pole are carved the emblems of four related house groups of the Nexadi clan, descendants of Eagle Claw House, whose crest appears at the top of the pole. The human...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Kats and His Bear Wife Totem - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Kats and His Bear Wife totem from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Kats and His Bear Wife totem: "The carving of Kats and His Bear Wife was set against the center of the front of a tribal house, framing the entrance. It was used only on special occasions, as...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Memorials Of Eagle Tail House - Saxman AK
    The Moon Raven Pole & Sun Raven Pole are two memorial poles that flank the stairs that lead up to the Clan House at the end of the Saxman Totem Park. The Sun Raven Pole is a memorial for Reynold Denny Sr., the Chief of Saxman Village. The Moon Raven Pole is a memorial for Martha Shields, a notable elder of the Village of Saxman.
  • Saxman Totem Park, Pointing Figure - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Pointing Figure totem from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Pointing Figure totem: "The Pointing Figure totem was made for a group of brothers belonging to Raven Bone House of the Raven clan and set up sometime between 1890 and 1900 to mark the grave of their sister on Pennock...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Raven and Frog Totem Pole - Saxman AK
    In 1938, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established the Saxman Totem Park and set up a totem restoration project. Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the restoration process. The CCC relocated the Raven and Frog Totem pole from a village in Southeast Alaska to the new park. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Raven and Frog Totem pole: "The Raven poised for flight atop this mortuary column represents the crest of Raven clansman and also symbolizes two Raven myths. The first is the Deluge myth, and the second...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Raven Pole - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Raven Pole, from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Raven Pole: "Raven on the top of the Raven Totem pole is carved with outspread wings ornamented with feather and wing-tip designs, and with breast feathers forming the hair or head dress of the human figure below. This is an arrangement similar...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Raven Posts - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Raven Posts from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. The photographic material published here by the Living New Deal was provided by courtesy of Linn A. Forrest (1905-1986), a practicing architect who photographed the totem poles at the time of their restoration, between 1939 and 1941. Forrest oversaw the joint program of the Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps to recruit Alaska native carvers in the restoration and recarving of totem poles...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Secretary of State Pole (Seaward Pole) - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Secretary of State Pole (Seaward Pole) from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Secretary of State Pole: "Standing near the carving of President Lincoln in Tongass Village was the figure of his Secretary of State, William H. Seward. Seward, perhaps more than any other one person, was responsible for the purchase...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Sun and Raven Totem Pole - Saxman AK
    In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the totem pole: “Three adventures of Raven, the Culture Hero, were drawn upon for the carvings of the Sun and Raven short mortuary totem. At the top is raven without spread wings. Around his head is the sun halo. On his breast are three, figures, the children of the Sun whom Raven visited during the Deluge. The raven tracks painted on the face of the girl in the center are traditional for women of the Raven phratry. Raven's wings are decorated...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Beaver Posts - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Beaver Posts totems from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 under the supervision of architect Linn A. Forrest. Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC carried out the restoration and carving work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Beaver Posts totems: "The Beaver house post story belongs to the Basket Bay Tlingit now living at Angoon. A woman from the old Basket Bay village married a Haida and went to...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Blackfish Fin - Saxman AK
    In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the totem pole: "The Klawak Blackfish Fin carving symbolizes a mythical monster of the sea about which the south eastern Alaska Indians tell many tales. It has the head and body of a bear and the fins of the blackfish or killer whale. In the carving the dorsal fin is represented as a slender shaft, rounded at the top. The pole stood in front of a house in the Tongass village on Cat Island. The story and carving belong to...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Blackfish Pole - Saxman AK
    In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the totem pole: "Two adventures of the ancestors of people of Blackfish House of the Wolf phratry are illustrated on this carving. The main section symbolizes the blackfish, or killer whale, from which the group takes its name. The long shaft above the body is the dorsal fin. Originally this was undecorated, but when the copy was made the owners granted permission to add the wolf face and the circle. These symbolize a wooden hat owned by the group, on...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Frog Tree - Saxman AK
    Viola Garfield and Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Frog Tree totem pole in their 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven: “The Frog Tree (or Drifting Log) carving was brought from Cape Fox, where it had been dedicated to the memory of a woman of the Kiksetti clan. Her name was Two (Frogs) on a Drifting Log, hence the name of the pole. On the original carving a frog was shown emerging from the center of the upright support, to symbolize the woman emerging from the lake when her relatives came for her. George Grinnell, who was in the village...
  • Saxman Totem Park, The Grizzly Bear Post - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Grizzly Bear Post, from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Grizzly Bear Post: "The Grizzly Bear post (also identified as Kats and His Bear Wife) belongs to people of Kats House of the Tongass tribe. It was approximately one hundred years old when brought from Village Island to Saxman in...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Lincoln Totem Pole - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established the Saxman Totem Park in 1938 and set up a totem restoration project. Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the restoration process. The CCC relocated the Lincoln Totem pole from a village in Southeast Alaska to the new park. Viola Garfield and Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Lincoln Totem pole in their 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven: "The Lincoln sculpture was in poor condition when the pole was brought to Saxman in 1938. A copy was made for the totem park, and the original was sent to the Territorial Museum in Juneau. Time...
  • Saxman Totem Park, the Loon Tree - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Loon Tree totem from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. At Saxman, the Tlingit craftsmen created a copy of the original totem. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 under the supervision of architect Linn A. Forrest. Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC carried out the restoration and carving work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Loon Tree totem: "The original Loon Tree Totem was brought from Cape Fox Village and copied at the Saxman...
  • Saxman Totem Park, Tired Wolf House Posts - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Tired Wolf House Posts totems from a village in Southeast Alaska to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 under the supervision of architect Linn A. Forrest. Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC carried out the restoration and carving work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Tired Wolf House Posts: "The Tired-Wolf house posts were carved on Village Island and installed in a house on Kanagunut Island belonging to the people of Forest Island House....
  • Saxman Totem Park: Owl Memorial Pole - Saxman AK
    The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) relocated the Owl Memorial Pole from a village in Southeast Alaska, to the newly established Saxman Totem Park. The CCC set up a totem restoration project in 1938 and Tlingit carvers enrolled in the CCC lead the work. In the 1961 volume, The Wolf and the Raven, anthropologist Viola Garfield and architect Linn Forrest describe the visual characteristics of the Owl Memorial Pole: "The owl at the top of the pole was the main crest of the medicine man, or shaman, in whose memory the carving was dedicated. The owl crest is explained by the legend of a...
  • Sixteen Frogs Breaker - Saxman AK
    The park was designed along a main axis—Totem Road—with totem poles on each side, and a rectangular area enclosed with logs carved with frog heads. Leading to the square, there are two stairways marked by totem poles on each side. U.S. Forest Service Architect Linn A. Forrest designed the sixteen frogs breakers. In 1938, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the Saxman Totem Park. The program was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service effort to employ Alaska Natives and conserve totems and Native cultural assets. Many of the poles that the CCC recovered from abandoned villages were found in an advanced state...