National Register of Historic Places

Alaska Totems

Ketchikan, Ketchikan Gateway County, Alaska
Listed
June 20, 1971
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
71001090

About this property

The Totem Heritage Center is a historical and cultural museum founded in 1976 and located in Ketchikan, Alaska. The center is operated by the city of Ketchikan. The location of the Totem Heritage Center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Alaska Totems on June 21, 1971. The center was founded in 1976 to preserve these totems and act as a cultural center. Sixteen of the museum's thirty-three totem poles are on permanent display, although the rest of the collection is available for research purposes. The center also exhibits other Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian artifacts and art pieces, including work by world-famous Tlingit carver Nathan Jackson, and renowned Haida weaver Delores Churchill. In November 1990, a Ravenstail Weaver's Guild was formed in Ketchikan through the Totem Heritage Center. The guild served to strengthen the almost extinct craft of Ravenstail weaving and the community of makers of both Native and non-Natives in the United States and Canada. The Heritage Center houses one of the world's largest collections of unrestored 19th century totem poles. The poles were recovered from uninhabited Tlingit settlements on Village Island and Tongass Island, south of Ketchikan, as well as from the Haida village of Old Kasaan. In addition to functioning as a museum, the Totem Heritage Center preserves and promotes the traditional arts and crafts of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples through a nationally recognized program of art classes and other activities. Classes are held throughout the year, and the museum is open to visitors year-round, with extended hours during the summer. National Register of Historic Places listings in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska Totem Heritage Center and Tongass Historical Museum joint online collection

Location

Ketchikan, Ketchikan Gateway County, Alaska
55.34265, -131.63343

Categories

ART
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

The Star
Industrial
0.3 mi
Stedman-Thomas Historic District
Pre Contact
0.3 mi
Ketchikan Federal Building
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Ziegler House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Walker-Broderick House
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Alaska Totems listed on the National Register?

Alaska Totems was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Alaska Totems?

Alaska Totems is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Alaska Totems?

The period of significance for Alaska Totems is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Alaska Totems?

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