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Lincoln Totem Pole (base) Image by Bruce Warrington, 2019 |
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Lincoln Totem Pole (top) |
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Saxman Village Totem Park
near Ketchikan, Alaska, contains a collection of Tlingit and Haida
totems that were relocated or re-carved by Native artists to
preserve traditional forms and stories. The Lincoln Pole pole is a
commemorative monument erected to mark an event of great importance
to the community. It symbolises the peace agreement reached between
two opposing Tlingit groups. At the base stands the 'Proud Raven',
named for the Raven Clan, whose intervention persuaded the Eagle
Clan to accept peace. The carved faces represent the two tribes,
while the lower figure—human in form but with raven legs—expresses
the dual nature of the Raven spirit. At the top, the figure of
Abraham Lincoln represents the U.S. Revenue Cutter Lincoln
(Lincoln is shown rather than the ship, as the pole must depict a
living being), whose presence was instrumental in securing the
treaty. |
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