The Clan House at Totem Bight State Historical Park near Ketchikan, Alaska
© Ron Niebrugge/Alam
Indigenous living
Just north of Ketchikan, Alaska, is Totem Bight State Historical Park, a 33-acre space dedicated to preserving elements of the Indigenous Haida and Tlingit cultures of this area. Visitors can walk through the low door of the Clan House to see how families from the tribes once lived. The park also boasts a collection of 14 traditionally crafted totem poles based on 19th-century originals. The order and positions of the symbolic faces on the poles show the progression of a specific story that can be interpreted by those who know how to 'read' the carvings.
Many US cities and states celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday in October. The holiday has been embraced across the Americas, though the date of the observance varies depending on where it's being celebrated. Does your area observe this holiday?
Related Images
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
A carving of artist W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp in the Pura Meduwe Karang temple in Bali, Indonesia
The Vochol, a Volkswagen Beetle decorated with traditional Huichol beadwork
Street art from the Pasadena Chalk Festival 2013, California
The Milky Way seen from Canyonlands National Park in Utah
Blue walls of Chefchaouen, Morocco
Mars Express image of the icy cap at Mars’ south pole
A Diego Rivera painting to celebrate Labor Day
Bing Today Images
