The Spot: Killer Whale Grave Totem
From the 1880s until the 1910s, the Killer Whale Grave Totem was an iconic piece of Wrangell encountered by many visitors and documented in many photographs, illustrations, and descriptions.
Grave Monuments of KaachXana.áakʼw
For countless visitors disembarking from steamships at the north end of the harbor, the Killer Whale Grave Totem and its neighboring Wolf Grave Totem were their first close-up introduction to Tlingit art. The carvings proved popular with tourists who frequently photographed, painted, and posed with it.
(image source: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)
(image source: Presbyterian Historical Society)
It’s not clear exactly when the Killer Whale Grave Totem began. The earliest written record of these carvings may have been in November 1887, when William H. Partridge ran an advertisement for his extensive catalogue of “Alaska views,” including fifteen images from Fort Wrangel. Among the list was “7876 - Indian graves, Fort Wrangel—the whale and the wolf” followed by “7760 - Ditto.”
From these photographs by Partridge, it’s clear that both carvings still complete, including all attached pieces. But the surface of the wood shows some patches where the paint has worn away, and a thin layer of moss covers most of the Wolf Grave Totem.
This photo was reportedly taken in 1887 by Winter & Brown of Eugene City, Oregon. (image source: Alaska State Library)
This illustration from John Muir’s Picturesque Alaska (published 1888) is an example of one of many pieces of artwork depicting these carvings. The scene’s unique perspective is from over the water, showing the carvings rising up above the coastline below. According to the book, “At Fort Wrangell the tourist finds the largest assemblage of totem poles and two remarkable graves, one surmounted by a rudely carved whale, and the other by a huge figure of a wolf. The totem poles serves as emblems of the clans or family divisions of the various tribes.”
A group of men (circa 1889) stand in front of the grave totems, while one man places his hand on the mouth of the Killer Whale Grave Totem. Throughout their existence, people would approach, touch, and be photographed with these carvings. The inscription on the photograph reads, “Indian Town, Fort Wrangle, Alaska. Peterson Bro’s Photo’s, Juneau, Alaska.” (image source: British Columbia Archives)
One of the last recorded accounts of the Killer Whale Grave Totem appeared in the March 23, 1890 San Francisco Chronicle:
“There are two remarkable graves to be seen here. A little log hut is constructed and in this was deposited the dead body of the chief, or his ashes if the body had been cremated. On the top is a figure of an animal carved in wood. One of these graves has a wolf above and the other a whale, but the latter is so much overgrown with rank brush that only the whale’s teeth and head show out from the surrounding vegetation…”
Determining the Original Location
This is one of the last known photographs of these two grave totems together. In the background, a new building appears that was not present in earlier photographs. We can use this building to pinpoint the historic location of these two carvings. (image source: Wikipedia Commons)
Using this historic photograph, we can estimate the distance from the Kiks.ádi Totem Pole to the house that was built behind the Killer Whale and Wolf Grave Totems. Using the height of the Kiks.ádi pole (32 feet) as a measuring tool, we can estimate that the house stood roughly 256 feet from the Kiks.ádi pole.
Using this 1914 map (foreground) of Wrangell by the Sanborn Fire Company, wen can identify that the building constructed behind the Killer Whale and Wolf Grave Totems was this (circled in red). By superimposing the 1914 map over a modern-day satellite image, we can see that the building used to stand in the southern half of the Sentry Hardware & Marine parking lot.
Fort Wrangel Courtyard
Around 1890, the Killer Whale Grave Totem was removed from its position at the north end of Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw and placed in a central, prominent location in the courtyard square of Fort Wrangel. This location was deeply culturally and socially significant for the town of Fort Wrangel. The courtyard square was a common gathering place, featured a flagpole with the American flag, and was positioned in front of one of Alaska’s only federal courthouses.
It’s not clear who moved the Killer Whale Grave Totem or their intentions. It began as a grave marker, but when it moved into Fort Wrangel, it left behind the burial house. Deprived of its original context, the carving became a piece of art in the public square. Unlike a tall totem pole featuring multiple symbols and stories, the Killer Whale Grave Totem was conceptually simpler for outsiders to grasp. Fort Wrangel’s embrace of this piece of art suggests the fledgling community’s recognition of the legacy and contributions of its Tlingit neighbors.
(credit: Alaska State Library)
(image source: Wikipedia Commons)
1902. (image source: University of Washington)
According to The Sketch magazine of February 8, 1899, the carving was “used by United States soldiers as a ‘clothes-horse.’
August 14, 1904. John N. Cobb. (image source: University of Washington)
In 1908, William Fletcher King visited Fort Wrangel. In his book, Reminiscences, he remarked, “Near Fort Wrangel we saw the celebrated whale-totem so commonly seen in photographs.”
(credit: University of Washington)
The last-known photograph of the Killer Whale Grave Totem inside the Fort Wrangel courtyard may be from this photograph taken January 1, 1914 featuring Wrangell’s townspeople gathered on the hill rising up to the Fort Wrangel buildings. In the distance to the right, behind a man wearing a black suit and hat, is the Killer Whale Grave Totem. (credit: Michael and Carolyn Nore Collection)
Post Office Lawn
(credit: Alice Rooney)
I’d love to know how this totem came to be inside the courtyard of Fort Wrangel. I like to think it was a sign of respect for the Lingít. This was a very prominent, highly visible spot. The two-story behind it was used as a school, courthouse, and other civic functions. For anyone landing at the dock, just at the bottom of the hill, this would have been one of the first pieces of Lingít art they’d see up close. Even today, this spot in front of the Post Office is frequently visited by locals and tourists just off a ship. And there’s still Lingít art in front of the building, thanks to Thomas Ukas.
Watching the Killer Whale totem age and decay had an unintended affect for me. It reminded me of the shortness of life and that nothing is permanent. Over time, bits of the totem wear away and disappear. It sinks further into the mud. It disappears from photographs around the 1910s. I have no idea what became of it. If anyone has an ideas, please get in touch with me at wrangellpod@gmail.com.