Tuesday we played. We had a great day at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. At the entrance was a totem pole by Nathan Jackson, one of the most important Alaskan artists. And we have some history.
In 2016, Sal and I went to Alaska. We flew into Anchorage, rented a car and drove around for a week. Then we took a Princess cruise from Valdez to Vancouver, with Ketchikan being one of our stops along the Inside Passage. We had arranged a tour of the town with Lois Munch of Classic Tours. Riding through Ketchikan in her ‘55 Chevy, she was greeted with waves and shouts from so many people. She seemingly knew almost everyone in the town of 8,000.
She took us to Saxman, a Tlingit Indian village and home to the Totem Heritage Center. There she introduced Sal and me to Nathan Jackson, the Tlingit artist who has a workshop there. Mr. Jackson has carved more than 50 totem poles which are displayed in museums in the US, Europe and Japan. We got to watch him work and chat a bit. We learned that one of his totem poles was in the Smithsonian.
In 2004, when the Smithsonian opened a new museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, his totem pole was relocated into that building, along with a new, second totem pole by another Alaskan carver. Lois let us know that Mr. Jackson was curious about the placement of his totem pole; which artist’s work had the better location in the new Museum? No worries, we said. We lived close to Washington DC and would check it out.
Several months later, we did visit the National Museum of the American Indian and found the two totem poles. Maybe the newer totem pole had a bit more prominent space, but Mr. Jackson’s was still located were many would see it. We look pictures and sent them to Lois. We were so surprised when she called us a month later. Mr. Jackson was pleased, she said, and sent his thanks.
It was a treat for us to meet him six years ago, and we get a small thrill whenever we see his work.
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