A Trip to Sitka

Just got home from a short week in Sitka. I had to work 18 hour days so I didnt get to do much other than work but I hit a few places waiting for my flight. The totem park is awesome and its hard to describe the intricate details of the totems on display. Some were turn of the 20th century and some were more recent but they truly display the artistry of the carvers.

Sitka is a small fishing village that used to be the Russian capitol of Alaska and its also the site of several battles between the Russians, Americans, and Tlingits. The skyline is dominated by Mt Edgecomb, a dormant volcano that sort of reminds me of Mt Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

Dont forget that with most of the pictures you can double click on them for a larger more detailed format.



Cannon on the ramparts of Castle Hill over looking Sitka



View of the Russian Orthodox church steeple from Castle Hill



Coast Guard bouy tender on Jablonski Island across from Sitka



Sitka Pioneers Home; if you have to go to a rest home, this wouldnt be a bad choice.



City of Sitka, worth a visit if you havent been



Mt Edgecomb which dominates the skyline



A more recent totem at Totem Park



This was a more modern long house support carving; note it has human hair and abalone shells incorporated into the design



A turn of the 20th century long house support pole carving



A totemic carving in progress



The most important representative carvings on Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian totems were at the bottom and you will note many totems with carvings of humans with top hats on top of the poles, meaning they were considered less important.



Fall in the rain forests of Southeast Alaska



Note the whale on this totem



The difficulty in maintaining the symetry is hard to imagine



A totem from about 1903......not sure of the meaning or if I want to know!



Some contemporary carvers add their own twist to traditional representations which creates some striking carvings







They are large and tall and impressive up close.