Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

Totem poles and a screen carved by Tlingit master carver Wayne Price were ceremoniously unveiled in front of the Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village and Wellness Center Thursday to honor veterans and current military.

This is the first work of art by the Haines resident – well-known throughout Southeast Alaska for his authentic Tlingit carvings – in his hometown.

Residents and American Legion members made up a crowd of more than 60 people who gathered at the intersection of Dalton Street and Second Avenue for the reveal.

Ted Hart, a member of the Tlingit Raven clan, spoke in both English and Tlingit about the artwork. “I hope these poles and screen bring peace and harmony to our vets just as they will bring balance to our community,” Hart said.

“We have a lot of debt to repay to our vets for all the service they’ve given us.”

National Commander of the American Legion Charles Schmidt thanked the Haines community for the veterans’ wellness center and Price for the artwork.

Chilkoot Indian Association tribal administrator Harriet Brouillette introduced Price, who has been an artist and carver for 45 years. She said Price has been a driving force in revitalizing Tlingit art in the community.

“There are very few representations of authentic Tlingit art in the Chilkat Valley, which we’re hoping that will change,” Brouillette said. “It isn’t something that you just do, it’s something that you feel from your very core. It’s very spiritual. Every piece of this art has meaning… a piece of Wayne goes into everything he creates.”

Price said he has been working on this project, featuring traditional Northwest coast formline design, since August 2016 in his studio at Fort Seward.

According to Price’s written interpretation, the left totem pole depicts a raven and a dog salmon in honor of Walter Soboleff, a member of the Raven Dog Salmon clan. The right totem pole features an eagle and a wolf for the clan of Howard McRae.

Each totem stands 12 feet tall, elevated on cement blocks with an inlaid salmon shape.

The eight-foot screen features a warrior spirit, in the Tlingit style of a healing spirit, in the center of three circles. The warrior spirit “radiates healing energies from its hands, heart and mind to the human heart and minds of veterans.” The second circle depicts an eagle and raven that represent balance.

“They hold the eye of the ancestors watching over us. They are the communities that the veterans come from and sacrificed for. They are the families of our towns and country. They are our grandparents, parents, children, relatives and friends. Together they represent the love and gratitude from the civilian community to the veterans,” Price said.

The outer circle’s red, yellow, black and white colors represents the medicine wheel, the four directions and more.

The Chilkat Dancers of Klukwan and Dei-shu Dancers sang, drummed and danced in front of the artwork to open and close the ceremony. Price also did a customary carver’s dance holding the tool he used to make the totems and screen. The dance passed ownership of the artwork from Price to the public.