October 2011

Established in 1976, the Totem Heritage Center was founded to help preserve abandoned totem poles across southeast Alaska. Many of the totem poles were constructed by Haida or Tlingit craftsmen in the 19th century and were in danger of decay or vandalism.

Today, the Totem Heritage Center houses one of the world's largest collection of authentic totem poles; in addition, the center features artists from the Pacific Northwest who craft wood in the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian tradition and teach classes for prospective artists.

HEAD OF PASSES, LA—Three Confederate ships, led by the metal-sheathed ram CSS Manassas, have attacked five Federal ships in the Mississippi delta south of New Orleans. Sources aboard the USS Vincennes report that both the Vincennes and the USS Richmond were run aground, and that the latter was rammed. No casualties have been reported.

CARONDELET, MO—The Union has launched its first ironclad, the gunboat USS St. Louis.

CHARLESTON, SC—The CSS Theodora is bound for Cuba after evading the Union blockade. James Mason and John Slidell, Confederate Commissioners to England and France, are reportedly aboard.

The Tongass Historical Museum, located in downtown Ketchikan, hosts between three and four rotating exhibits in its gallery hall. The exhibits typically highlight local or Native Alaskan history and detail Ketchikan's history. Furthermore, a permanent exhibit, titled The First People, displays artifacts from  Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes along with modern Native Alaskan art. 

Opened in 2004, the Ilanka Cultural Center celebrates the history and culture of Native Alaskans. For generations Eyak, Alutiiq, Ahtna, and Tlingit peoples have lived in Cordova for its proximity to Prince William Sound and the mouth of the Copper River. The museum houses a collection of native art and artifacts from the prehistoric age to the modern day.

A unique element of the Ilanka Cultural Center is that it houses a complete orca skeleton, salvaged by the local community in 2000 from Hartney Bay. In addition, the cultural center contains a collection of hand-made kayaks, helping visitors compare kayaks from Siberia with those from Alaska.

Located at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel, Alaska, the museum highlights the history and culture of the Yup’ik/Cup’ik and Athabascan natives as well as other people living in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of western Alaska. Living in the region for over 12,000 years, the Yup’ik/Cup’ik Eskimos and Athabascan people did not encounter European explorers until a Russian expedition met the Yup’ik natives.

The Yupiit Piciryarait Museum houses approximately 2,500 photographs, artifacts, and works of art along with collections of civic records and audio recordings. The museum is working with local villages to improve its understanding of local oral history.