It Takes a Village
Weighing nearly two tons, the Kadashan Pole was the largest to be raised. Amidst an overcast day, dozens of people, primarily Eagle Clan members, strained to carry it from the WCA carving shed through the streets of Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw to the Totem Park where it was raised.
Raven clan members followed, drumming and singing, while the pole was carried.
Once at the Totem Park, it took 100 people using four ropes in four directions to pull it up, while another dozen pushed it up from its base.
The pole, large enough to crush a house, swayed as it was raised. If it weren’t for the adept leadership of Master Carver Sgwaayaans TJ Young, who ordered groups on the ropes to pull or ease off, the raising could have, very easily, not ended well.
“You can plan all you want, but you’ll always have to adapt and trust your instincts and intuition at some point,” Young said.
Just after the Kadashan Pole was upright and bolted into place, the sun came out of the clouds and shone full force.
It literally took the village to support the carving, carry it through town, and raise it.
“This is an historic event,” WCA President Ed Rilatos said. “This is a great feeling, and we will keep carving.”
“We are teaching these kids their heritage, and they will be our next weavers, beaders, and storytellers.”
For the Future Relatives
Avery Herman-Sakamoto, was a 25-year-old intern with Home Planet Fund partner Southeast Sustainable Partnership that summer.
“I was two years old at my first totem raising in Petersburg, so this is essentially my first one. My Dad helped pull them both up, so this is very meaningful for me, and it brings me great joy to see this happening in this community.”
Herman-Sakamoto is now inspired by the future possibility of pole raisings in the nearby community of Petersburg, where she lives.
“We still lack pride in our Indigenous community there, so this is eye-opening for me. To see clans working together is inspiring. It takes work within a community for something like this to happen, and this event shows us what is possible.”
“It was important and impactful for the younger kids to be pulling in a dugout canoe from Kasaan,” she added. “All of this is for the kids. It’s for our future relatives.”
Being Held, Together
Hoyt was all smiles throughout the weekend all the poles were raised.
Speaking of the massive Kadashan Pole, Hoyt had this to say:
“It was first carved in the 1800’s, again in the 1930’s, and now again. This is the natural way of things…it is regeneration repeating itself. The spirit is intact, even if the material body changes.”
Cultural revitalization and resurgence is at the core of Home Planet Fund’s work, and we are extremely proud to work with our partners across Southeastern Alaska as their work continues.
“Reciprocity is the physics of this whole thing,” Hoyt added.
“We hold them up, they hold us up.”
