The Magic of Ketchikan AlaskaAt 6 o'clock, we sail into Ketchikan Alaska, the fourth largest town in Alaska - almost 700 miles north of Seattle. 
I am amazed at the insignificance of this town after the miles and miles and miles of dense forest we've just sailed past. The town is neatly laid along a narrow flat strip at the base of Deer Mountain. The origin of the name Ketchikan is derived from Tlingit, meaning 'thundering wings of the eagle'. The shape of the city (as seen from atop Deer Mountain) also resembles the majestic raptor. Ketchikan Alaska is known as the Salmon Capitol of the world.Ketchikan Alaska is squeezed tightly between forested hills and the plunging depths of the Inside Passage. I heard that land is in much demand, and the houses are linked by long staircases that are significant enough to have street names. We stepped down from the ship after a delicious breakfast! On the dock we booked a 2 hour Wilderness tour which I loved – especially the huge bald eagles that you can see all over in the trees. There are some intriguing destinations in Ketchikan Alaska, with an abundance of the sacredness of Southeast Native culture.
Ketchikan Alaska has a central core of historic streets, especially Creek Street. Here we strolled along the boardwalks, stopping to look into the myriad of quaint galleries. It was fascinating for me to watch the salmon make their way to the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery. This rickety-looking boardwalk (Creek Street) is perched high above the tidal waters of Ketchikan Alaska. Creek Street was the red-light district from 1903 until 1954, when the brothels were closed down. Today these houses are all smartened up, painted bright colours and feature mostly as gift shops. Dolly's House, 24 Creek Street, still gave us a glimpse of the old days. This was the home and workplace of Dolly Arthur, the town's most famous prostitute. I also loved watching the Great Alaskan Lumberjack show. Here woodsman were chopping and sawing wood, rolling logs, felling trees and speed climbing with spiked shoes. Unfortunately this has become a dying industry. We walked through the Carving Centre where the famous Nathan Jackson is still working. There are still individuals all over the U S who commission totem poles. Two carvers were busy on the poles, which proceed at a rate of around one foot per week . The red cedar tree is used for this, as it takes the longest to rot from the inside. Totem PolesDespite the teachings of early missionaries, totem poles - the enduring image of the Alaskan coast - were never intended as objects of worship or religious meaning, but stood as cultural symbols recording the legends and history of a people: silent storytellers in a land with no written language.The raising of a pole was always accompanied by a “potlatch”, a kind of feast where the clan could give away a vast portion of their property. In contrast to modern values, status was determined by how much a person gave away rather than how much they accumulated! The western red cedar is used, its timber is preferred for its easy-to-work straight grain and unusual rotting characteristics. It decomposes from the inside out, thus lasting longer in the eternally damp climate, through still only sixty to seventy years.
Every element in the preparation of a pole - selecting and felling the tree, the carving, the painting, and finally the raising – was marked by ceremony, culminating with the singing , dancing, and drumming of the final potlatch given by the patron's clan. Once erected the poles were not changed or repaired but allowed to decay until they finally fell over and rotted into the undergrowth. The skills retained by older carvers were passed on to a younger generation of artisans who still carve poles, often replicating older designs. Return from Ketchikan Alaska to Home Page |
