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Third Replica of the
Sun Raven Totem Pole to be gifted to the Tongass Tribe & Ketchikan
Community
Tlingit Totem Carver,
Israel Shotridge, a member of the Bear clan of the Tongass Tribe, from
Ketchikan, is currently completing the carving of the 3rd replica of the
Sun Raven Totem Pole. This 18' totem pole will be gifted to the Tongass
Tribe and the community of Ketchikan on Saturday, August 23rd 2003.
The third replica
of the Sun Raven Totem Pole has been an ongoing totem preservation project
which Shotridge began in 1998. The finishing touches will take place in
Ketchikan at the University of Alaska S.E. at the Robertson building along
Stedman Street, originally known as Old Indian Town. Visitors are welcome
to stop by between July 28th through August 21st, Monday - Friday's from
10 - 4pm. The pole will be raised on Saturday, August 23rd in front of
the newly renovated UAS Ketchikan Robertson building. A traditional totem
pole ceremony is schedule at 1pm followed by a dinner celebration organized
by the Tongass Tribe.
Shotridge and his
carving assistant Tlingit, Fred Fulmer have currently spent the past several
months at the University of WA Burke Museum demonstrating the art of carving
monumental totem poles while working towards the completion of the Sun
Raven Totem Pole. Shotridge made arrangements to ship the totem to his
studio on Vashon Island, WA several years ago to complete the totem. The
original Sun Raven Totem Pole stood at Tongass Island where the Tongass
Tribe originated from in SE Alaska. A slightly shorter version of the
Sun Raven Totem Pole was carved and placed on Pennock Island in 1902 as
a memorial totem pole, in honor of David Andrews, a Chief of the Gaanaxadi
Raven Clan of the Tongass Tribe. The Sun Raven Totem Pole, currently standing
at the entrance to Saxman today, was carved by Tlingit carver Charlie
Brown in 1939.
Shotridge has been helping to preserve tribal totems for over twenty years.
In addition to the replication of this totem pole, Shotridge has been
involved in over a dozen totem replication projects in Ketchikan, Klawock,
Wrangell and Saxman, Alaska.
Shotridge is carving
this totem pole in memory of Chief David Andrews, of the Gaanaxadi Raven
clan of the Tongass Tribe, Emma Williams, the last Teikweidee - Taantakwaan
/Kinninook and Tlingit carver Charlie Brown, who was a member of the Sanyakwan
Raven clan.
For additional information
check out www.shotridgestudios.com
or feel free to contact Israel Shotridge at (206) 567-5826, P.O. Box 2508,
Vashon, WA 98070.
For information about the celebration dinner, contact Martha Johnson @
907-225-5158.
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