Ketchikan in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Continuing the Cycle
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 2, 2026
1. Continuing the Cycle Marker
Although it may seem as if these totem poles have been simply left here, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Totem poles are carved with an understanding that few will stand longer than 75 years in the rainforest climate of Southeast Alaska, but their cycle continues. When they fall, tradition holds that they should not be lifted, but rather left where they lie to return to the earth. These totem poles, although not where they would have fallen, are now allowing the past to nourish the future.
When totem poles fall and new ones are carved to stand in their place, the art of carving continues across generations.
Man Wearing Bear Hat
Charles Brown carved this Tlingit grave marker in the late 1930s, based on a design found on Cat Island. The pole depicts a man of the Bear Clan sitting serenely wearing a large wooden hat traditionally worn at potlatches. The bear adorning the hat has its teeth exposed as a reminder that the Bear Clan are a proud people.
Man Captured by Land Otters
This original heraldic pole was carved by Haida master carver John Wallace and raised in 1947. The man at the top of the pole is wearing
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1947.
Location. 55° 25.194′ N, 131° 46.368′ W. Marker is in Ketchikan, Alaska, in Ketchikan Gateway Borough. It can be reached from Totem Bight Road. Marker is located in Totem Bight State Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9883 North Tongass Highway, Ketchikan AK 99901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, in the Inside Passage, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 2, 2026
2. Continuing the Cycle Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Look Into the Clan House (a few steps from this marker); Houses of Heritage (a few steps from this marker); Clan House Construction (a few steps from this marker); Preserving the Past (a few steps from this marker); Aging in the Elements (a few steps from this marker); Transforming Trees (a few steps from this marker); Original Artists (a few steps from this marker); What is Totem Bight? (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ketchikan.
More about this marker. Pictures of the Man Wearing Bear Hat totem pole and the Man Captured by Land Otters totem pole appear on the marker. There is also an image of a tool used to carve totem poles.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 2, 2026
3. Fallen Totem Pole
When totem poles fall, they are left to be reclaimed by the rainforest.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 2, 2026
4. Fallen Totem Pole
Credits. This page was last revised on September 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 15, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
