Klawock Tlingit Totems

While visiting Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, I was drawn to two newly carved totem poles standing side by side. One honors first responders—those who serve and protect their communities. The other immediately caught my attention for a different reason.

During the Fourth of July celebration, we met a young Tlingit carver who had helped create the First Responders Totem. As we talked, he explained the meaning of the nearby pole. The faceless woman represents Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, a tragedy that has touched Native communities across Alaska and North America.

Until that moment, I had admired the pole as a work of art. Then its deeper message became clear.

What I remember most from Klawock is not the carving itself, but the conversation.

This simple encounter transformed what I was seeing into something I could feel.