History Pole- Haa Léelk'u Ha's Kaasdahéeni Deiyí Kootéeyaa Pole

History Pole- Haa Léelk'u Ha's Kaasdahéeni Deiyí Kootéeyaa Pole

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Amenities

3 listed

Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

In 1996, Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural center commissioned Tlingit carvers Will Burkhart (Kaanáawooltlein), Tommy Joseph (Naal’xák’w), and Wayne Price (Aayáank’i, Xóotsk)  to carve a 36’ red cedar totem pole that would depict the first people to occupy the Sitka area. The pole’s Tlingit name translates roughly, “Our grandparents who were the very first people to use Indian River and the other people who were here, too.”

• The bottom figure is the brown bear representing the Kaagwaantaan, Chookaneidí, and Wooshkeetaan clans of the eagle moiety. The Mother Bear’s tongue touches the head of the little bear, passing knowledge from one generation to the next. 
• Above that is an eagle, representing all of the Eagle clans.
• The third segment of the pole is the frog, which is the crest of the Kiks.ádi clan
• A human figure above the frog represents the first people to settle in Sitka. The figure wears a Kiks.ádi clan crest hat and holds 2 coho salmon, the crest of the L’uknax.ádi clan honored by the pole.
• The top figure is Raven the Creator, who made land and gave mankind light and fire. 

All figures are painted in traditional black, red and bluegreen colors.

Dave Galanin, Tlingit silver carver and project coordinator highlighted the importance of this project because “it’s a marker to show that people lived here in the past. A connection to the ownership of the land, the past connecting to the future.”