The story of Totem Bight

The story of Totem Bight. . Totem Bight State Historical Park exhibits totem poles and a clan house typical of three Native groups: Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. These three groups were unique as they incorporated their distinctive art into totem poles. The Civilian Conservation Corps funded a project here to perpetuate this art. , Northern Art Style , Here in the northern limits of the Northwest Coast Natives' territory, three distinct cultures developed a similar art style called the northern art style, They all share similar social and cultural patterns but have unrelated languages and distinct ethnic identities. Tlingit and Haida art is represented here at Totem Bight., The Totem Pole Project , The US Forest Service, in cooperation with Native organizations, began a Civilian Conservation Corps project in the 1930s to salvage and reconstruct totem poles and clan houses. They brought original poles found deteriorating at traditional villages to this site. Native artists carved new poles based on the original designs. Work began in 1938, under the tutelage of Tlingit carver Charles Brown and Haida carver John Wallace They built a clan house and carved fourteen totem poles before World War II interrupted the project.