Though all of the poles are severely weathered, much of their original detail survives as testimony to the skill and sophistication of their carvers. They are preserved as they were found at the village sites. The totem poles in the Heritage Center were created by carvers during the height of totem pole carving on the Northwest Coast, between the middle and the end of the 19th century. Forest Service provided technical assistance. ![]() Elders also provided valuable cultural and historical information about the totem poles. With the guidance of Native elders, the Alaska State Museum and the Alaska Native Brotherhood carried out the totem pole retrieval. The inhabitants of these villages moved to Ketchikan and other towns at the beginning of the 20th century in order to be near schools and churches, as well as the canneries, mines, and sawmills that offered employment. ![]() The Totem Heritage Center houses an invaluable collection of 19th century totem poles retrieved in the 1970s from the Tlingit villages on Tongass Island and Village Island and from the Haida village of Old Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island.
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