Saxman Village in Alaska may not have the name recognition of Ketchikan, its larger sister city to the north. But it does have what other cities do not: totems, and lots of them.
To put it in perspective, British Columbia’s Stanley Park at Brockton Point — one of the Canadian province’s most-visited tourist attractions — features just nine totem poles. In comparison, Saxman Village’s Totem Park offers 22, and there are another 14 at nearby Ketchikan’s Totem Bight State Park, making this area of Alaska the home of the highest number of standing totems in the world.
Experiencing this unique cultural art form is a rapidly growing segment of tourism, with the brightly colored totems increasingly luring tourists to southeast Alaska. Each has its own story to tell, and I’ve personally observed new arrivals become mesmerized by the cedar carvings — depicting beavers, ravens, orcas, wolves and more — and the totems’ smiling, brooding or fearful expressions.
Touring Saxman Village
The Saxman Totem Park Tour at Saxman Village begins at Beaver Clan House (the Native American historical equivalent to a community center). Saxman Native performers highlight the culture and history of Tlingit people and the local Beaver Clan through song and dance, and visitors are encouraged to participate in the final dance. Afterward, a native Tlingit guide leads guests through the park and describes the history and story of each totem.
During my visit, village elder Richard Shields explained to me the importance of passing on the old ways to a new generation.
“This is what cultural tourism is all about,” he said. “We pass on the wisdom of our ancestors and elders so that visitors can carry it out into the world. These young people really enjoy what they do, and they are the ones we hire to guide our tours.”
While at Saxman, I also had the opportunity to watch world-renowned totem carver Nathan Jackson contemplate his next cut on a wood carving. A wide range of carving tools sat nearby, but Jackson, for the most part, did little in terms of actual carving.
“There is more to a totem than a carving,” he said. “There is the history and the spirits that speak to the carver. It’s the carver’s job to bring them out. Sometimes, I spend days just looking at the spirits and the message within the wood, and attempt to bring that out.”
The village’s gift shop offers the most original and spectacular displays of Native handicrafts that I have seen in Alaska; visitors even have the option of commissioning a 30-foot-tall, full-size totem, beginning at a rate of $1,000 per linear foot, plus shipping and installation. (I found it easier, however, to enjoy the totems already in place and take home a miniature version for a fraction of the cost — and with free shipping.)
Totems have a variety of unique expressions and may resemble animals.
Credit: 2019 Getty ImagesWhere to Stay
The cultural immersion continues during a stay at nearby Cape Fox Lodge, a massive three-story, pine-beamed property within Tongass National Forest that is located atop a 130-foot bluff. Rooms feature mountain or harbor views and sit above downtown Ketchikan. Museum-quality native cultural displays line the hotel’s downstairs and upstairs hallways.
I visited the ski-style lodge during the final stages of its major June 2019 renovation, and the upgrades were impressive.
All rooms have been refurbished and now offer air-conditioning, according to Tim Lewis, general manager of Cape Fox Lodge, who adds that the property also offers free shuttle transportation to areas of Ketchikan, which is a service available to all guests.
Additionally, travel advisors may appreciate the corporate incentives offered by the property. Native cultures pride themselves on celebratory meals, which I personally observed during a recent Mercedes-Benz corporate reward incentive trip, which was held on-site for 92 visitors and included Alaskan seafood and American cuisine, served in an area featuring cultural handicraft displays.
Cape Fox’s newest offering is the George Inlet Cannery Tour, a historical look at of one of the top canneries in the early 1900s. Clients can view original fish-processing equipment on display or take part in a local seafood tasting that includes halibut ceviche, smoked salmon, grilled oysters, tanner crab and seafood chowder, with a full bar against a nearby roaring whitewater creek and massive rainforest backdrop. (Cape Fox offers commission on all tours.)
The Details
Cape Fox Lodge
www.capefoxlodge.com
Experience Ketchikan
www.experienceketchikan.com
