Last updated: October 10, 2024
Place
Wolf Pole
NPS Photo/ Cinnamon Dockham
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Wheelchair Accessible
The re-carving of this pole was completed by Reggie Peterson (Nulkahéetlee Ch’it Tlein) in 1982 at the park. The original Wolf pole has been preserved and now stands in Totem Hall. This pole is 22 feet tall. The bottom figure is a salmon, facing downward. The eyes of the salmon are round with a blue green ring around them. Below that is a wolf, recognized by his pointed ears. The inside of the ears and around the eyes are painted green blue, the lips and tongue are red. The wolf and salmon may represent clan crests or may symbolize characters from a legend of a boy who was captured by the Dog Salmon people. The top figure is a man, perhaps the Village Watchman or the pole’s owner. It has a red hat with a black stripe. The original pole was acquired by Alaska territorial governor John Brady from a village near Prince of Wales. The exact location or from whom it was acquired may not have been recorded. Prior research indicated that the pole originated from the Haida village of Howkan, which is located on Long Island near Prince of Wales Island. Newer research indicates that this pole likely originates from the Tlingit village of Tuxekan on Prince of Wales Island, because its carving is more similar to other poles seen in historic photos of Tuxekan. This is most likely a crest pole. The figures on this pole are very life-like and distinct as compared with the highly interconnected and overlapping design of many Haida poles. Tlingit poles typically have figures isolated from one another and present a more rounded and sculpted appearance, which can be seen on this pole. The Prince of Wales Archipelago is still occupied by both the Tlingit and Haida. Cultural interchange occurred and continues to occur through travel, trade, war, intermarriages and other means of diffusion.