ACTIVITIES
Stories in Cedar
“ I KNEW THAT I WAS EITHER GOING TO BE A MAGICIAN OR A WOODCARVER ,” says Tlingit master carver , Tommy Joseph , gesturing to the half-carved totem pole resting in the outdoor studio . “ This is my magic now though .” His tools , from an elbow adze to Western-style gouges , are all laid out in front of him .
The totem pole is a reproduction of the “ Waasgo Legend Pole ” for Sitka National Historical Park . The pole tells the story of a son , mother-in-law , and a lake monster . In this version of the story , the son dies , while the mother-in-law was portrayed as the villain . “ But in the original version , it ’ s the opposite . Through research , you see how the story has evolved over 200 years ,” Tommy explains .
“ Making a reproduction is totally unlike doing an original . It ’ s like a puzzle . You have to study it , take it apart , and put it back together . There ’ s a lot of research involved .”
Tommy ’ s career began in Ketchikan when , in the third grade , he began attending carving lessons in an A-frame studio behind his elementary school . Later , he came to Sitka to work and teach at the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center . The most important lesson for his students ?
“ Always work from a centerline to give balance to what you do .”
Now , Tommy frequently works during the summers as an Artist in Residence at Sitka National Historical Park or carves in the outdoor studio behind the Visitor Center . No matter what the weather , the outdoor studio feels like an oasis of calm . Visitors can watch and talk to Tommy as he works , inhaling the smells of fresh-cut yellow cedar , wet paint , and nearby Sitka spruce trees .
The carving process itself takes months . Once Tommy has finished carving a pole , transporting it requires creativity and a sense of adventure – especially if its new home is located outside of Sitka . For his last pole , Tommy relied on a seiner from Petersburg to pick him up and transport them both ; he even had the chance to carve on deck . Another time , Tommy delivered an eleven-foot pole on a fourteen-foot sailboat .
When he ’ s not carving totem poles , Tommy works on other projects – a dug-out canoe , satire masks , and Tlingit armor among them .
“ Always work from a centerline to give balance to what you do .”
“ I got into Tlingit armor because we were coming on the 200-year anniversary of the 1804 battle with the Russians . I traveled to Europe and Russia to research Tlingit armor ... the more I dug in , the more I learned . I couldn ’ t think about anything else . I made helmet after helmet . People were giving me wood , and I was running out .”
When discussing the future , Tommy ’ s passion for his work is evident . “ Not everyone wants or needs a totem pole , but in certain places and settings , they really do . I ’ m always going to be doing this , for as long as I can . The old pieces are my teachers .”
VISIT SITKA MAGAZINE 14 VISITSITKA . ORG