SITKA Administrative History

Chapter 5:
SITKA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, 1966-1986 (continued)

Totem pole restoration

The Alaska State Museum, U.S. Forest Service, and Sitka National Monument cooperated in a major totem pole restoration project in 1971. A specialist, Joe W. Clark, from the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, recommended techniques to arrest decay of the totem poles. [317] At the park, the totems were taken down and treated. They were soaked in a preservative solution. To save money, monument officials allowed treatment pools to be dug on the former Indian fort site.

A program to copy the remaining seven original poles at the park and one of the Civilian Conservation Corps poles began in 1978. The National Park Service's cultural resources cyclic maintenance program provided funding to carve new poles. Carving the first pole cost $4,000; the last $22,000. The totems were carved by Alaska Natives at the park, and the carvers were asked to converse with visitors. The carvers were also required to use hand tools and traditional organic paints. Two poles were carved in 1978, one in 1979, one in 1980, two in 1984, and two in 1986. After the original poles were copied, the staff proposed to dry, treat, and if possible, display them. Facilities to display the original poles were not available, and a proposal to build a suitable area was not funded by the park service. Instead, the poles were placed in storage. At present, nine of the original poles are under partial shelter and one original pole is under full shelter.

In 1979 the park staff decided that they would not have third generation poles carved. They felt that the historic integrity would be lost if copies of copies were carved. They would continue to regularly treat the poles displayed at the park with preservative--a mixture of varnish, paraffin wax, and mineral spirits. As discussed above, the staff requested a controlled environment addition to the visitor center for storage, display, interpretation, and periodic curatorial treatment of the Brady collected poles. [318]

An entirely new pole, the Bicentennial Pole, was added to the park during this recent period. Duane Pasco carved the 27-foot high pole in 1976. It depicts 200 years of Pacific Northwest coast Indian history. The design is in keeping with traditional form and style of Pacific Northwest Coast totemic art. The pole was placed in front of the visitor center. [319]