Totem Heritage Center facts for kids
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| Established | 1976 |
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| Location | 601 Deermount Street, Ketchikan, Alaska |
| Collection size | 33 totem poles |
The Totem Heritage Center is a special museum in Ketchikan, Alaska. It opened in 1976. This center helps to save and share the history and culture of the Native peoples of Alaska. The city of Ketchikan runs the museum. The land where the center stands was recognized as a historic place called Alaska Totems on June 21, 1971.
Contents
Discovering the Center's Story
The Totem Heritage Center was created in 1976. Its main goal was to protect old totem poles. It also serves as a place where people can learn about Native Alaskan culture.
Amazing Totem Pole Collection
The museum has 33 totem poles in its collection. Sixteen of these poles are always on display for visitors to see. The other poles are kept safe for people who want to study them.
The center also shows other cool items. These include art and tools from the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. You can see works by famous artists like Nathan Jackson, a Tlingit carver. There are also pieces by Delores Churchill, a well-known Haida weaver.
Keeping Traditions Alive: Weaving Guild
In November 1990, a group called the Ravenstail Weaver's Guild started in Ketchikan. This group was formed through the Totem Heritage Center. Its purpose was to help bring back the art of Ravenstail weaving, which was almost forgotten. The guild helped both Native and non-Native weavers in the United States and Canada.
What You'll Find at the Center
The Totem Heritage Center is home to one of the biggest collections of old totem poles in the world. These poles are from the 1800s and have not been changed or fixed up. This means they look just as they did when they were first found.
Where the Totem Poles Came From
These special poles were found in old, empty villages. Some came from Tlingit settlements on Village Island and Tongass Island, south of Ketchikan. Others were found in the Haida village of Old Kasaan.
Learning and Creating at the Center
More than just a museum, the Totem Heritage Center also teaches people. It helps keep the traditional arts and crafts of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples alive. They have art classes and other fun activities all year long. The museum is open to visitors throughout the year, with longer hours in the summer.
See Also
External Links
- Totem Heritage Center
- Totem Heritage Center and Tongass Historical Museum joint online collection
