Totem Heritage Center

“The fringe is a design I liked from an older piece I had seen. I study old pieces to find techniques that I can use in my own work, and this fringe is my favorite.” -Aanchgwanutk, Janice L. Jackson

Now on display in the Instructor Student exhibit case at Totem Heritage Center are seal skin leggings by Aanchgwanutk, Janice L. Jackson. Created during her Intermediate/Advanced Level Regalia – Deer Hide Leggings class, the pair includes a demonstration piece made while teaching and the matching legging completed afterward.

As both an instructor and lifelong learner, Janice's work reflects the way traditional knowledge is carried forward, through careful study, practice, and teaching.

Inspired to share your own work? We are currently accepting submissions for the next Instructor Student exhibit case. If you have created a piece, or taken classes through our Native Arts Studies Program at Totem Heritage Center, we'd love to hear from you. Deadline to apply for consideration: Friday, June 26th http://ketchikanmuseums.org/programs/nasp

As part of our newly adopted 2027–2031 Strategic Plan, Ketchikan Museums has established its first-ever institutional vision statement:

"Ketchikan Museums is an essential and trusted community resource."

Our 2027–2031 Strategic Plan was adopted by the Museum Advisory Board on May 19, 2026, and approved by the Ketchikan City Council on June 4, 2026. We look forward to the work ahead as we continue striving to be a resource for all.

This statement is more than an aspirational goal. It is a reflection and reaffirmation of our commitment to the work we do, and the role we hope to continue play in the lives of our community for generations to come.

As concludes with the theme of Hope, we are reminded that museums do more than preserve the past. They create opportunities for learning, connection, understanding, and imagination. They help communities reflect on where they have been and envision where they are going.

Click through to the virtual experience:

Totem Bight State Historical Park Step into Totem Bight State Historical Park and experience totem poles that carry Tlingit and Haida stories. In the experience, you will hear from clan members, explore the clan house, and learn about ongoing connections to this ancestral landscape.

So much content to explore and so many new ways to appreciate Totem Bight and our Alaska State Parks!!

Congratulations to all involved in this project

If Objects Could Talk…

They might tell you who made them, who used them, where they traveled, or what they witnessed. But objects rarely tell their stories on their own.

That’s where museum interpreters come in.

For today’s theme, If Objects Could Talk, we’re highlighting something new at Ketchikan Museums: our daily guided tours. Whether you're exploring the Tongass Historical Museum or the Totem Heritage Center, our guides help bring the stories behind the collections to life—connecting objects, people, places, and traditions in ways that go far beyond what fits on a label.

A cedar box, a fishing tool, a photograph, a piece of artwork... each has a story to tell. Our guides help give those stories a voice.

🎟️ Guided tours are now offered daily throughout the season:
• Totem Heritage Center — 9:00 AM | 1 hour
• Tongass Historical Museum — 11:00 AM | 1 hour

Join us and discover what the objects in our collections have been waiting to say.

“This is my first woven headband. I wove it with all good intentions into it. I wove the headband with my kids and their future in mind. Each time I sat to work on it, I first thought of my family and culture – putting only positive things into the weaving.” -S’etináxh, Lisa Milne

This Ravenstail headband, Ax̱ áali hás jooníx̱ x̱at sitee (I am my ancestor’s dreams) , was created by S’etináxh, Lisa Milne during an Introduction to Ravenstail Weaving class taught by Evelyn Vanderhoop in 2025.

"Gunalchéesh Evelyn Vanderhoop ax̱ eet ilatoowu (Thank you for teaching me Evelyn Vanderhoop).”

The headband is currently off display and traveling with Lisa and her family as they participate in Sealaska Heritage Institute's Celebration in Juneau.

We look forward to welcoming it back to the Instructor Student exhibit case at Totem Heritage Center after Celebration concludes.

𝐘𝐞́𝐢𝐥𝐤’ 𝐕𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.

Join us for one or both opportunities to learn with Vivian:

Saturday: City Park
Sunday: Mountain Point Boat Launch
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Come enjoy time outside on the land while harvesting with others—even if you can only stay for part of the experience.

Learn respectful harvesting practices from an Indigenous-led healing teacher and ethnobotanist. Please come prepared with boots, gloves, and bags or containers to collect your harvest. If you’re able, bring traditional foods to share.

All are welcome—come learn, harvest, and spend time together on the land.

Detail of Chilkat weaving by Evelyn Vanderhoop (Haida). Photo: Embassy of the United States of America in Canada. From "Haida Textile Artist & Painter Evelyn Vanderhoop," by Matthew Ryan Smith, PhD in our Spring 2026 issue.