Timber And Totem Poles (1949)

[Music] this is Alaska Frontier land of rugged mountains deep lakes and mighty glaciers Uncle Sam's largest national forest the tongas occupies the Southeastern section here grow managed forests old trees ready for the Harvest and young ones growing for future crops enough situs Spruce in Western Hemlock to support a system of Mills that could produce a million tons of Pulp every year forever here forest rangers travel through picturesque waterways bordered by dense [Music] Woods here we sometimes find a deserted Indian village almost lost in the Tangled Forest proud Sentinels of the past Indian totem poles are overgrown with vegetation once Vivid with color they are now drab and decayed ravaged by time with the coming of the Great American Fishing industry the natives abandoned their totems to the elements they built Villages near the salmon canaries and adopted the ways of their neighbors the art of totem carving was almost lost until the United States Forest Service helped revive It Old Poles were collected by the Civilian Conservation core repaired restored or used as models for reproduction some of the older Indians skillful wood Carvers were enrolled in the CCC to teach the younger men the craft of their fathers fine cedar trees famous for lightweight durability and easy carving were felled and floated to convenient locations some were 4 ft in diameter and over 60 ft long after being roughly shaped outlines of the Figures were drawn from overlaid patterns then the Carver sharpened his ads like the one used by his forefathers and set to work this sculptor dawned his ceremonial robes he made skillful use of a crude chisel with a blade of an oldfashioned night he carved the grotesque figures slowly [Music] carefully bright coloring was next applied in ancient days the Indians made their paint by chewing salmon eggs to obtain albumin this was mixed with powdered copper for green baked clam shells for white after the totem poles were finished they were placed at ketan Rango and in theka National Monument also in the Indian towns of hiber claak and Y cassan today thousands of tourists enjoy the rugged beauty of the Alaskan national forests and these colorful coals [Music] here are carved tribal Legends family history or symbols of a Chief's wealth and [Music] Prestige the emblem at the top usually a bird or animal indicates the family Clan the Comm ative or genealogical poll often stood in front of the home this one is called two in one grizzly bear Three Bear Cubs and their mother ornament the trunk here is the Secretary of State poll in honor of secretary Seward who purchased Alaska from Russia the secretary is sitting on a box of Furs a gift of the Indians very unusual is the Lincoln pole carved in honor of the great emancipator and the abolition of slavery among the Indian tribes the original Lincoln figure is in the territorial Museum in [Music] Juno single Figures were often carved on mortuary or grave totems ashes of the Dead were placed in cedar boxes in the back of weird images such as this Alaskan brown bear and this killer whale in the heart of ketan stands the chief Johnson pole it tells of the creation of salmon by the daughter of the fog the small faces are those of two slaves they indicate wealth here three frogs represent women of the Frog Clan who married slaves and lost their social standing the totem ridicules the chief of the clan for not restoring the women to their former status Indian children never Tire of hearing the old stories handed down by Word of Mouth from generation to generation this eagle with a human body represents a boy who spent all his time feeding Eagles when the tribe was starving this kindness was repaid by the many salmon brought in by the [Music] Eagles the giant rock oyster totem tells of an Indian whose hand was caught by a giant oyster so that he was doomed by the incoming [Music] tide this tired wolf pole recalls a wolf who was adopted by the clan and helped them with their fishing every people has its own version of Genesis the Sun and Raven pole describes how light was brought into the world and presents the story of the flood the Raven is being followed by three children of the Sun the large face is that of the Raven's mother The Raven following the Frog is descending into the sea this Beaver totem once supported the roof of a community house the forest service and the Civilian Conservation Corps helped reconstruct three Indian Community houses this one stands at totem bite near ketan the massive buildings are really one room apartment houses made entirely of Western red cedar this one has but a single entrance no windows and only a smoke coal in the roof no Nails not a bit of iron was used 40 people ate and slept within its walls the Indians approaching this community house at Wrangle are wearing chill cat blankets of mountain goat wool and cedar bark tied with juices squeezed from hemlock bark and lens erection of a totem pole or community house calls for a celebration this is a pot latch in ceremonial dance rattles and drums are the Native Instruments this dance is a tribute to the Civilian Conservation Corp and the government for Reviving The Ancient Art of totem carving unique among the Arts of the world totem land is but one of the many interesting sites of Southeastern Alaska a country that still challenges the Pioneer Spirit now accessible by air as well as by sea a vast UNP domain a tremendous National Forest Timber waiting to be felled and hauled to the Mills extensive salmon runs minerals in the mountain and roaring waterfalls ready to be harnessed for electric power your tongas National Forest in Southeast Alaska Land of Timber and totm poles where Nature has so much to offer Americans today and for hundreds of years to come [Music]