Cruising to Ketchikan

Day two of our cruise was on sea, cruising along the coast of Canada, reading and relaxing

It was overcast, but the water was still as a mirror.

Day three we arrived in Ketchikan. We started the day with a historic trolley tour.

There are so many ‘stair streets’, yes, they are legal city streets. Imagine being a postman in Ketchikan

A stop at a  totem pole workshop

There must be close to one hundred totem poles in Ketchikan. Seems like everyone has one by their home and office.

Totem poles are carved as family/clan identifier, placed in front of the home or village

Since there was no written language, stories were passed down orally to the next generation with the symbolic help of the story totem pole.

Commemorative totem poles are carved for important tribe members, birthdays and anniversaries,  and other special events.

and then there is the shame totem pole, carved for someone who did not fulfill an obligation or pay a debt, or for an entire group as a symbolic reminder of quarrels or other unpleasant occurrences.