tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66448584322547816462024-03-14T01:53:22.782-07:00Shakes Island Renovation ProjectUpdates on the restoration of Wrangell's National Historic Site.Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-66620041879560551602013-04-05T14:30:00.002-07:002013-04-05T14:30:39.286-07:00Re-dedication booklet preview ...<br />
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If you're around for the Re-dedication, which is now less than a month away, you'll have a chance to grab a hard copy of the official 2013 Re-dedication booklet, created by Tracy Churchill of Southeast Design and Promotion. The booklet is packed with some great photos of the island during the renovation, as well as shots of the 1940 Tribal House and some history behind the build.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEuSoBG1DGQ/UV8_javxEnI/AAAAAAAAAOg/RN-lfW3mlS8/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #538cd6; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEuSoBG1DGQ/UV8_javxEnI/AAAAAAAAAOg/RN-lfW3mlS8/s640/Picture+1.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's a shot of the book cover. <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001d_qoaGhUM-efdEA3P9X1BCjWbc91mWduaQlGd0psvok09yUTDS_c3Hm4UYO4GgRhqOYCZTRM7-8fU3Mnox6BE2dRQfHNYO9upuhfXi5_tO1i82_1KTTA7sFXbZ4FWCtdFAlsbhDL8qhMFA7IEeFQlC0TPXO76HOc3vTx1Y1ZPDQKu87WPi9AXbLypVKW2XgH" style="color: #538cd6; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">To take a peek at the rest of it, click here!</a><br />
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Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-63155502066483046872013-03-29T23:14:00.000-07:002013-03-30T23:31:37.827-07:00The house posts are back home.If you were anywhere near downtown Wrangell on Wednesday morning, you probably heard the house posts making their way from the Nolan Center back home to Shakes Island.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhjkauyochU/UVfTSVKhc3I/AAAAAAAAAN4/EgTCaahna2o/s1600/carol+posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EhjkauyochU/UVfTSVKhc3I/AAAAAAAAAN4/EgTCaahna2o/s320/carol+posts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last April, all Chief Shakes artifacts were removed from the Tribal House to prepare for the renovation. For the past 12 months, the artifacts and house posts were on loan to the Wrangell Museum, allowing the historic items to be on display to the public rather than stored away in a dark room somewhere. Major renovation wrapped up months ago and all Project Manager Todd White was looking for was a nice window of weather to make the move.<br />
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That weather came this week and on Wednesday morning, nearly 200 were in attendance to escort the house posts through downtown Wrangell, across the 300 ft. bridge onto Shakes Island, and into the entrance of the brand-spankin-new Tribal House. White had the posts trailered-up and was cruising ever so carefully, a giant wave of singers and dancers in beaded regalia flowing behind his Toyota pickup. The high skies were exactly what Wrangell needed. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ictplRDIG24/UVfTTxGQciI/AAAAAAAAAOE/E03AMKOgBMY/s1600/post+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ictplRDIG24/UVfTTxGQciI/AAAAAAAAAOE/E03AMKOgBMY/s320/post+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Once the parade hit the bridge, it was eight men per post, four on each side. The posts crossed a freshly decked footbridge. The crew recently installed new rails, new planks, even a few pilings, along the elevated path in a project overseen by Bill Williard, Project Manager for WCA Tribal Transportation. <br />
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With the amount of traffic that 300 ft. of wood will see in May, the sight of a new bridge is nice, but safety for all of those crossing the bridge is the main reason for the upgrade. The money is coming from the<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Georgia, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 18px;">Bureau of Indian Affairs</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; line-height: 18px;">travel and transportation program.</span></span><br />
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Once the house posts entered the room, they were met by another resident of the island. Master Carver Steve Brown, along with carvers Linda Churchill and Susie Kasinger, are putting the finishing touches on the new bear screen, which will again meet visitors and oversee the main entrance of the Tribal House. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3OuH9MsO34Y/UVfTWC7n37I/AAAAAAAAAOU/pnUFY4QZ_u8/s1600/screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3OuH9MsO34Y/UVfTWC7n37I/AAAAAAAAAOU/pnUFY4QZ_u8/s320/screen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Using an overhead projector against perfectly adzed Cedar, Brown and the girls will have created one of only 3-4 bear screens in the world. To ensure the screen will face the footbridge for years to come, the new version will not be a permanent fixture, but a removable work of Native art that can be packed away to avoid the unpredictable Southeast Alaska winters.<br />
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Re-dedication is only five weeks away. This town is going to be bustling like it's the 4th of July, with three days of scheduled activities and food booths all over town. More than 700 visitors have RSVP'd. That doesn't include those who are just planning to show up. The potlatch for the last Shakes Island opening attracted more than 1,200 out-of-towners, and that was in 1940. <br />
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Schedule of events:<br />
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<b>Thursday, May 2nd</b></div>
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<b>Canoe Landing - One People Canoe Society</b></div>
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<b>Friday, May 3rd</b></div>
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<b>1:30-2:30 p.m. Parade</b></div>
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<b>2:30-4:30 p.m. Canoe Activities</b></div>
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<b>4:30-5:40 p.m. Toddler Regalia Contest</b></div>
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<b>7:00 p.m. Bingo or Native Dancing</b></div>
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<b>Saturday, May 4th</b></div>
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<b>10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Re-dedication Ceremony</b></div>
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<b>3:00-9:00 p.m. Presentation of Gifts, Dancing, Dinner </b></div>
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Thanks to Apryl Hutchinson and Greg Knight for tagging us in the photos.</div>
Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-63671147449809131862012-12-17T15:30:00.001-08:002012-12-17T15:38:31.807-08:00KSTK - Chief Shakes Renovation Update<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">The Chief Shakes Tribal House renovation has wrapped for the time being. Construction is complete. The artifacts and house posts still need to make their way from their spot at the museum back to Shakes Island, but Project Manager Todd White says they'll need a good shot of weather for that. So White, and the rest of the renovation crew, will get the holidays off, a vacation well-earned. The crew will start back up in the new year, but at what capacity is still unknown. The project is finally wrapping up. Bring on the Re-dedication.</span><br />
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</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lRO3SOIenak/UM-rA0zU2rI/AAAAAAAAANA/WasVN3sLAZA/s1600/KSTK-FM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lRO3SOIenak/UM-rA0zU2rI/AAAAAAAAANA/WasVN3sLAZA/s1600/KSTK-FM.png" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">Greg Knight put together a great piece for KSTK on the status of the project and a recent open house. <a href="http://www.kstk.org/2012/12/17/chief-shakes-renovation-update/" target="_blank">Click here to check it out.</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">For a blog post on the canoe workshop put on by the Chilton brothers of the One People Canoe Society, and a complete schedule of events for the May 2013 ceremony, <a href="http://shakesislandrededication.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">check out the </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://shakesislandrededication.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Re-dedication blog.</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We're going to need help to pull off this Re-dedication. Hotels have no vacancies and beds are tough to come by in Wrangell. We are looking for people to help house visitors over the weekend of May 3rd & 4th, 2013, or assist with housing in any way. Whether that be renting out your guest place, loaning a spare bed or couch, or volunteering to help organize the Re-dedication housing process, <a href="http://www.shakesisland.com/#!contact/c3kh" target="_blank">contact WCA.</a></span>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-7891534389968247202012-11-30T16:38:00.003-08:002012-11-30T16:38:17.676-08:00The unsung heroes in the Carving Shed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The Tribal House renovation is crawling towards completion.
The structure itself looks like a near finished product, with foundation,
wall and roof construction wrapping up weeks ago. Finishing the interior
could take a couple more months, and some of the house’s artwork, including the
screen, still needs to be restored. The bear screen, which guards the
entrance to the Historical Site, will be restored by Master Carver Steve Brown
and a couple of the Tribal House’s unsung heroes.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-uThiVQgTE/ULlQPeV9SKI/AAAAAAAAAMA/wPVWXssvsIU/s1600/susie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-uThiVQgTE/ULlQPeV9SKI/AAAAAAAAAMA/wPVWXssvsIU/s320/susie.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susie Kasinger - Greg Knight photo</td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“Nineteen boards left,” exclaimed
carver <a href="http://shakesisland.blogspot.com/2011/10/susie-kasinger-on-wanting-to-be-carver.html" target="_blank">Susie Kasinger</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">That was the good news the crew at the
Carving Shed got back in late August, as Project Manager Todd White and the
crew only need 25 more Cedar planks to finish the Tribal House roof.
Counting the three lay finished in the corner of the facility, and the
planks each member of the carving trio were adzing that day, there was finally
a finish line in sight. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’ll take us about a week to finish
those last 19,” said carver and Wrangell local Susie Kasinger. “Some
boards can take a little longer, depending on how many knots you find and how
the grain is treating you. It’ll usually take about 8 hours to finish
one, but Linda finished 3 ½ the other day.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;"><br /></span>
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The Linda she’s referring to is another
homegrown adzer, <a href="http://shakesisland.blogspot.com/2011/11/linda-churchill-on-carving-and-her-dad.html" target="_blank">Linda Churchill</a>. “I was just cruising that day, picking
some really good pieces of wood,” said Churchill, whose father was also a
carver. “Picking the right piece takes a little luck. Sometimes a
good looking piece of wood can take you twice as long, you don’t find out until
you get going a little bit.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Linda reached for her adze, a very
traditional tool in every sense, except for the tennis racket grip tape on the
handle. “Susie got us the tape from Amazon.com. I think my
fingertips might be permanently square thanks to the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">adzing. I’m not sure how bad of
shape they’d be in without the tape.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The trio made adzes of their own under
the guidance of Master Carver Wayne Price at the beginning of the project.
Each has picked up a couple other adzes along the way, whether it be a
hand-me-down or something they found on eBay. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ35bax6Zxc/ULlQNUQ8-bI/AAAAAAAAAL4/vaYoU2crYWM/s1600/linda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ35bax6Zxc/ULlQNUQ8-bI/AAAAAAAAAL4/vaYoU2crYWM/s320/linda.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linda Churchill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 17.27272605895996px;"><br /></span>
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Kasinger and Churchill, along with
Justin Smith of Whitehorse in the Yukon, have had every piece of Cedar pass
through their workshop, a temporary carving facility comprising of two shipping
containers and an adjoining roof. While the local ladies say they
couldn’t have done it without Smith returning for a second round in the Carving
Shed, the real story remains that these two women are fueling a project in
positions that historically </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">are rarely filled by females.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“Linda and I aren’t really thinking
about that,” said Kasinger. “We’re just relieved to see the light at the
end of the tunnel and the building almost finished.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Not that they’re excited to be done,
but they think it’ll be nice to carve without pressure of a schedule and
hopefully carve without the Project Manager watching over their shoulder for a board
that takes up to 8 hours to adze. The two are now getting to show their
skills in other areas of the project. In addition to carving any
finishing work, the pair has been re-painting lanterns and are counting down
the days until the arrival of Steve Brown, who they will assist in restoring
the screen.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6Vz61GireA/ULlQQLKNQWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/0_2Tmf161po/s1600/justin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6Vz61GireA/ULlQQLKNQWI/AAAAAAAAAMI/0_2Tmf161po/s320/justin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin Smith</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />Kasinger and Churchill continue to
“man” the shed, while Smith said goodbye to Wrangell until the Re-dedication in
May. If his plans held up, Smith could be finishing off a cross-continent
run to Guatemala.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">You read that right, running to
Guatemala. He’ll fly to meet his running partners, currently chugging
across North America somewhere, then it’s off to Central America to take part
in some Aztec/Mayan 2012 celebrations. And this isn’t Justin’s first
cross-continent rodeo. Before coming to Wrangell last year, he hoofed it
from Whitehorse to Panama City for a similar indigenous peoples event.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“It wasn’t so bad,” said Smith of the
run. “I got shin splints once, but that healed up after some rest.
My knee started hurting pretty good at one point, but that just went
away. Got to have good shoes. It’s all about the shock absorbers.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">For more than 6 months, Smith’s group
would crash in guest rooms, on couches, floors, or in tents on the voyage
south. This trip won’t last nearly as long, and Smith says he wouldn’t
miss the 2013 Re-dedication for anything.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“This Tribal House, working in the
Carving Shed, has been just like its own marathon,” added Smith. “I am
very honored to have been a part of the Shakes Island project.”</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The temporary carving facility the trio
called home is no more. It won’t be long before ground is broken on a
brand new 4,500 sq. ft. Carving Shed, on the same patch of land they carved on
for months, but in the meantime they’ll work from another temporary shed.
Once again it’s two shipping containers and a roof, but this time they
have a view as the shed is across the bridge from Shakes Island. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The girls did have a little bit of a
wish list for the new Carving Shed. Something to battle the heat would be
nice, since the temporary facility is built like a greenhouse, letting sunlight
in while trapping the heat inside. Panels were often removed and fans
brought in just to get a breeze working. They would also love a kitchen
and bathroom. They would like to not have to borrow fridge space and a
spot to place a coffee pot from the neighbors. I’d say they’ve earned it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-65617192284605122652012-11-28T10:24:00.002-08:002012-11-28T10:24:29.734-08:00The Tree<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKDLk6QfHWE/ULZVpc-bawI/AAAAAAAAAKs/ef2nXYCJ9ow/s1600/TREE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKDLk6QfHWE/ULZVpc-bawI/AAAAAAAAAKs/ef2nXYCJ9ow/s320/TREE.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Greg Knight</td></tr>
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<span style="text-indent: 9pt;">A debate has risen about the giant tree that guards Shakes Island.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;">The massive cottonwood, estimated by local </span><span style="text-indent: 9pt;">botanist Glen Decker to be in the 100 year-old range, stands nearly 75 feet tall and could possibly pose a risk to the Tribal House or totems if it were to give way during a storm. </span><br />
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;">During a recent WCA meeting, community members spoke on the tree, including Tlingit elder Marge Byrd, who claims her mother planted the tree. </span> A unanimous vote decided that the tree will still be standing during the re-dedication in May, 2013.<br />
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 9pt;">The following is from an article by Wrangell Sentinel reporter Greg Knight, from the November 21 edition of the newspaper.</span><br />
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<i>“That tree has been there a long
time,” Byrd began. “I called my family and some other people about because it’s
very emotional, but I had some good input and some of them said they should
brace it up so it’s there for the dedication. After that, they can take it down
and maybe plant a new one that would have been planted the year of our
dedication, which would still have a great meaning to it.” </i></blockquote>
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<i>Eliciting laughter from the
gathering, Byrd also commented on what a member of her family told her might be
the best idea. </i></blockquote>
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<i>“My niece Dawn said, ‘You get down
there and chain yourself to that tree,’” she said. “I know the Eagles aren’t
going to be very happy, but it’s something that needs to be done because 15 or
20 years from now if you get a big wind that blows it over, there goes our
house.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Todd White, the project manager
for the renovation project on the island, said the need to remove the tree
comes out of an abundance of economic caution on the part of the WCA board. </i></blockquote>
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<i>“I know it has
been there a long time and it’s very important to Marge,” White said. “We have
a report that says we can band it and trim it and it might stand for years.
But, the thing about cottonwoods is they are extremely heavy and when they fall
they don’t come down the way they are supposed to. The concerns that the
council has are that if it falls forward, it takes out the Eagle Totem, which
has a price of $220,000. If it falls backwards, it takes out the house. That is
$1 million with another million worth of artwork in it.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Decker’s report, which was
commissioned by the WCA, states that his study of the tree shows an old tree in
the middle of its life cycle. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“The lifespan of Cottonwoods can
run from 100 to 400 years old, but more commonly tends to be from 100 to 200
years old,” Decker’s report states. “The tree has a healthy root zone, trunk
flare and crown. The codominant stems, or ‘fork’ of the tree is the only
visible defect. The fork union is ‘U’ shaped and without decay, which is a good
sign, however any fork attached this low on the tree can pose a hazard.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The possibility of the tree
falling over and into the new Shakes Tribal House, while not directly
addressed, is briefly touched upon in the report. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“As far as the potential for the
tree falling over, with the healthy root zone and overall health of the tree,
combined with the pruning treatments it has received previously, I would say
that it is unlikely to fall over with normal weather situations,” Decker added.<br />Decker also included that
recommended hazard abatements would be to prune the upper canopy first, remove
some of the larger branches under what he calls the “pedestrian zone,” and,
“above where the new totem will be positioned.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Another safety feature Decker
recommended would be the installation of a brace in the fork of the tree, which
he states, “will reinforce the codominant or ‘fork’ stems while still allowing
the crown of the tree to move naturally.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>According to White, Decker has
purchased an appropriate brace for installation in the near future.</i></blockquote>
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For more, <a href="http://www.wrangellsentinel.com/story/2012/11/22/news/shakes-tree-to-stand-until-rededication/708.html" target="_blank">check out the complete article on the Sentinel's website.</a></div>
Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-40073533384871198792012-11-14T11:17:00.003-08:002012-11-14T12:07:13.041-08:00I like to put a little bling in it ...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdPXBrsuMcs/UKPp4xB5ZJI/AAAAAAAAAI4/iDmU4dXQR48/s1600/IMG_0963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdPXBrsuMcs/UKPp4xB5ZJI/AAAAAAAAAI4/iDmU4dXQR48/s400/IMG_0963.JPG" width="400" /></a>I like to put a little bling in it.<br />
<br />
Those were Project Manager Todd White's words as we admired the Tribal House from the boardwalk.<br />
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"The copper flashing will tarnish over time, but it's blinging right now," added White. "But we're not doing anything different. That's the same way they made the original Tribal House."<br />
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The shiny trim definitely strikes you, just like the smell of cedar and wood stain that fills your nose after crossing half of the 300 yard boardwalk. The walls have been up for months, the roof on now for weeks, but it still shocks you as to how awesome Shakes Island looks on a sunny day. That fact hasn't distracted White from his goal of having the island perfect by the time Re-dedication rolls around in May.<br />
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"It's going to take a while still," said White. "We had to re-locate the temporary carving shed, which set us back some work-time. We also took the time to cover the totems located on the island to protect them from the weather. We're looking at finishing the floors, then lighting, heat and electricity. And if it turns out we're short a little Cedar, we may be looking for new logs to mill and adze to finish the floor."<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hWfdw768-I/UKPqB6Gif7I/AAAAAAAAAJI/pjwLMd5AazY/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1hWfdw768-I/UKPqB6Gif7I/AAAAAAAAAJI/pjwLMd5AazY/s400/IMG_0919.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Despite the setbacks, White says the project is still ahead of schedule, and is happy to say the last couple months of Southeast Alaskan storms haven't figured out the new roofing system. <br />
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In addition to the classic Cedar planks and shakes, White has added layers of 3/4" plywood and waterproof membrane. Heavy rain and winds have come and gone without so much as a drop seeing the inside of the house and the new foundation.<br />
<br />
"After all is done, we're still going to need a window of cool, dry weather to get the house posts and artifacts back inside," said White. "And Wrangellites know it's tough to predict the weather, especially in the Winter."<br />
<br />
"The building is golden," said WCA's Tis Peterman. "It's encouraging to see the Tribal House progressing like it is. It's in the latter stages of construction and after nearly 10 years of pushing, it's nice to not have to worry about it getting finished. Now we can turn our attention squarely on the Re-dedication."<br />
<br />
Nearly 700 have RSVP'd for the ceremony, scheduled for May 3rd & 4th, 2013. That number consists of donors, dancers and canoers, not individual travelers. Hotels, B&B's and rentals have been booked up, so we're going to need help from the community to pull this Re-dedication off. If you can house, or help the Re-dedication in any way, <a href="http://www.shakesisland.com/#!contact/c3kh" target="_blank">contact the WCA.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://shakesislandrededication.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Click here for a schedule of events for the Re-dedication.</a><br />
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<br />Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-71119717081075891962012-08-17T23:17:00.001-07:002012-08-18T00:33:28.321-07:00Sealaska comes through with more logs, this time for totems<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9OF-GXECXw/UC8x7JQKk6I/AAAAAAAAAII/8LqHmR9tq_8/s1600/bear+up+mt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F9OF-GXECXw/UC8x7JQKk6I/AAAAAAAAAII/8LqHmR9tq_8/s320/bear+up+mt.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Up the Mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Wrangell Cooperative Association recently had their request of three giant, red, Cedar logs to replicate three totems approved by Sealaska. </div>
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This means that the Undersea Bear, Strong Man, and Bear Up the Mountain totem poles, the three totems in the worst shape on the island, have taken their first step to being re-carved and re-seated in their rightful home on Chief Shakes Island.</div>
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In an October, 2011, Master Carver Steve Brown assessed the damages and concluded that complete replication will be required for the Undersea Bear (23’), Strong Man (28’) and the mountain half only of Bear Up the Mountain (17’). The other totems will be cleaned and/or repaired, it's just that these three each had a foot in the grave.</div>
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The Bear Up the Mountain totem has been taken down and sits in two parts behind the Tribal House. It stayed there over the winter, tarped and on the ground. The bear part can be rescued with a little paint and elbow grease, but the 17’ mountain is a goner. The Strong Man and Undersea Bear are in dire need of complete re-carve and are currently being stored by the City of Wrangell.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn-SpbFJmHA/UC8zCqF3C2I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/uPBdFI50UAU/s1600/bear+raising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tn-SpbFJmHA/UC8zCqF3C2I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/uPBdFI50UAU/s320/bear+raising.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Up Mt<br />
1940, Linn A Forrest Collection</td></tr>
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This isn't the first time Sealaska has come up big in the restoration, as they already donated a dozern Cedars. Those giant trees were logged by Sealaska Timber Corp, planked on Prince of Whales Island and shipped to Wrangell, where they were blessed by the local Native community and adzed in the temporary Carving Shed. The finished product went to replace the largest pieces of the Tribal house, like the corner posts and sill beams.</div>
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“It feels great to know the restoration is going smoothly and we’re on our way to getting the totems back into the ground,” said WCA Pres. Ernie Christian. </div>
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“It's phenomenal to see the Tribal House coming along as fast as it is and the adzed wood just looks beautiful,” added Christian. "It's almost like it was machined. I am very impressed with our adzers."</div>
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Project Manager Todd White is aiming to have most of the Tribal House finishing work wrapped up by the first of the year, giving him a nice window to get the artwork from the museum back into the house, then the WCA can focus on raising the totems again.</div>
Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-23275777767941513672012-08-16T02:23:00.000-07:002012-08-18T00:36:06.502-07:00Tribal House 65% complete<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tuesday and Wednesday brought clear skies to Wrangell and a couple coats of stain to the North and South walls of the Chief Shakes Tribal House. Walls have been up for some time, the roof is halfway done and the adzers are doing everything they can to keep the Cedar flowing to the island. <b id="internal-source-marker_0.9783657127991319" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Project Manager Todd White took a few minutes away to walk me around the house and give me an update on the progress.</span></b></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjUQT5WOfvI/UCy7Nd_YcsI/AAAAAAAAAH0/NRlCQ64JJCY/s1600/roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjUQT5WOfvI/UCy7Nd_YcsI/AAAAAAAAAH0/NRlCQ64JJCY/s400/roof.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Greg Knight</td></tr>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9783657127991319" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.9783657127991319" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">"If I had to put a number on the total project, I'd say we're about 65% done," said White. </span></b>"We expected to salvage about 30% of the existing Tribal House, but that number turned out to be 7%, creating some extra work. But even with those additions, we're still on-time and will have everything ready for the 2013 re-dedication." </span></span></b><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The East half of the roof is nearly complete. The old roof, put together in 1939, consisted of Cedar planks and shakes ... that's it. The new and improved Tribal House roof will still have the Cedar planks and shakes, but White's throwing in some 3/4" plywood and a layer of Water Shield rubber membrane. Paired the new roof with the new foundation, this baby should be water tight. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" />"It's just awesome to see it all coming together," continued White. "The project has been the most challenging I've ever taken on, but also the most rewarding. It's great to come to work and see everyone on the job really enjoying and caring about what we’re trying to do here, not just picking up a paycheck."</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I feel like once the roof is done, we own it. We're home with nothing but finishing work ahead of us. </span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I'd like to see the finishing work wrapped up by the first of the year so we get the artwork back in there and start working towards raising the totems again."</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C2rtlJ8KU5s/UCy7LvGcdwI/AAAAAAAAAHs/a_mQJc2UN9U/s1600/front+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C2rtlJ8KU5s/UCy7LvGcdwI/AAAAAAAAAHs/a_mQJc2UN9U/s400/front+wall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The crew on the island is taking a few days off from the roof to tackle some other projects on the island, like staining, but they're also doing it to let the adzers gain a little ground.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span></b><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5189679882023484" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We've been really busy, but doing our best to keep up with whatever the crew asks for," said adzer Susie Kasinger, standing in a sea of Cedar chips inside a carving facility not built for warm weather. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It took us a week to finish the planks for one half of the roof. It's a little overwhelming to see them looking for more Cedar after just four hours. That's how fast they're putting it back together. I just try to keep checking the island, checking the progress. It helps us carvers stay pumped up."</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For more renovation photos, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shakes-Island-Renovation-Project/269478946414953" target="_blank">check out our Facebook page.</a></span></b></span>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-32674304070816647552012-07-16T18:05:00.004-07:002012-07-16T18:32:09.601-07:00The 1869 Bombardment of Wrangell<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">What if I told you that over 150 years ago, Wrangell was almost blown to smithereens by the U.S. Military after a member of the Stikine tribe bit off a white woman's finger?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You wouldn't believe me. I didn't believe it at first. How had I not heard this story before?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While not a lot of documentation exists on the Bombardment, most tell a very similar tale. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you haven't heard of the 1869 Bombardment of Wrangell yet ... spoiler alert!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>... The US Army was also involved in a shelling, later in 1869.</i> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>George Thornton Emmons, a US Naval officer in Alaska from 1882 to 1899, and later one the first ethnographers to study Alaska Natives, wrote about the Wrangell incident in "The Tlingit Indians" his masterwork, which was written in the 1930s and 1940s but not published until 1991.</i> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"The shelling of Wrangell in 1869 by the Army at Fort Wrangel was ordered to enforce the surrender of an Indian named Scutdoo or Scutdor who had killed a White trader in retaliation for the wanton and unjustifiable killing of an Indian name Si-Wau by Lt. Loucks the second in command of the post," Emmons wrote. "Si Wau was drunk at the time and had bitten off part of a finger of (another soldier's) wife."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Emmons noted that Scutdoo was a cousin of Si Wau and felt duty bound to kill a white to avenge the death. The Army shelled a large portion of the Indian village and then took Scutdoo's mother and another Native hostage. Scutdoo gave himself up and was tried, convicted and hanged for the murder.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Emmons reported that before the execution Scutdoo expressed sorrow over the killing and said he had nothing personal against the dead trader and he hoped to meet up with him in the afterlife.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's the Cliffs Notes version, courtesy of Dave Kiffen from his article <span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><i>US Navy Bombed Angoon 125 Years Ago</i>, which can be found at Sitnews.us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What that clip leaves out is that the U.S. Military blasted a few cannon balls into what was then Fort Wrangel and threatened to take the whole place down if Scutdoo didn't give himself up to be hung. Well, he did. In fact, Scutdoo's hanging was the first recorded in Alaska (Dec. 29, 1869), according to DeathPenaltyUSA.org.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Bombardment made waves in the National news, but somehow isn't remembered when we, the locals, celebrate Wrangell history. Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) and WCA hope to change that thanks to a new grant. <span style="line-height: 17px;">SHI was the recipient of a one-year National Park Service (NPS) Battlefield Preservation Grant to document 1869 Bombardment through oral history work with elders in partnership with the WCA. This is the first ever NPS grant awarded to an organization in Alaska to study a U.S. conflict with a Native tribe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The final report generated through the grant
will be given to the WCA and community of Wrangell to allow them to determine
what could be done to preserve, market, develop or memorialize the conflict for
the community’s advantage. Some Battlefield Grant recipients in years
past have gone on to build memorials, or be recognized as a National Historic
Site, like </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Chief Shakes Tribal House. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Zachary Jones, SHI Archivist & Collection Manager and PhD student in Ethnohistory at University of Alaska Fairbanks focusing on Tlingit and Russian relations, will serve as the primary investigator on the Bombardment and believes “past writings do not do the situation justice. Reports out there now largely represent only one side of the story. They didn’t go far enough. One needs to understand Tlingit law, the cultural context and aspects of Federal Indian policy to address the whole situation. I look forward to working with and serving the WCA and community of Wrangell in bringing this complex issue forward.</span>"</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1B7GE1Rmeo/UAS83abtCTI/AAAAAAAAAGw/A5faCxaj4rw/s1600/fort+wrangel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1B7GE1Rmeo/UAS83abtCTI/AAAAAAAAAGw/A5faCxaj4rw/s640/fort+wrangel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-small;">Fort Wrangell, 1869, by Vincent Colyer, who reported to President <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Ulysses S. Grant on the Bombardment</span></span></td></tr>
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</div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-34692154393508980082012-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:002012-07-09T14:13:28.357-07:00Rasmuson Foundation excited about Tribal House progress after visit<br />
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Wrangell Cooperative Association was pleased to welcome one of the earliest and largest contributors to the Chief Shakes restoration to Wrangell, as members of the Rasmuson Foundation paid the Tribal House and Carving Shed a visit on June 25th.</div>
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<br />“The Chief Shakes Island Tribal House restoration is exactly the type of project the Rasmuson Foundation likes to get behind,” said Ed Rasmuson, who before becoming President and Chairman of the Board for National Bank of Alaska spent two years running the Wrangell branch after Senator Frank Murkowski.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rasmuson Foundation members</td></tr>
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<br />“I called Wrangell home in 1966 and ’67 and it still holds a place in my heart. I would like nothing more than to see the Native culture preserved for future generations. Throw in the visitors that the restored Tribal House and a new carving facility will bring to town and this was a no-brainer project for us to back.”</div>
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“The Rasmuson Foundation absolutely loves Alaska,” added Rasmuson. “We’ve contributed more than $2.5 million to Wrangell projects and are proud to have contributed to Wrangell Cooperative Association (WCA). We can’t wait to see the Tribal House and Carving Shed completed and the totems back in their rightful place again soon.”</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Project Manager Todd White, WCA's Carol Snoddy and Ed Rasmuson</td></tr>
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WCA’s Carol Snoddy worked for Ed Rasmuson at National Bank of Alaska/Wells Fargo for 30 years and “was very encouraged with the Rasmuson Foundation’s visit.”</div>
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<br />“The members and their spouses were all really enthused on the island and genuinely excited to see our progress,” said Snoddy. “I really do believe that Wrangell is one of the bright spots in Southeast Alaska right now and our progress will help to strengthen our community and Native culture. Now it’s time to get the House back together and get those totems back up.”</div>
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<br />Project Manager Todd White gave Foundation members a rundown of the project during the Shakes Island visit, showing off the freshly raised corner posts and mapping out the next steps in the restoration.</div>
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<br />“The South wall framing is in place,” said White. “We're waiting on the second batch of our Cedar donated by Sealaska so we can finish the front wall, so we’re going to do some roof work in the meantime.”</div>
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<br />Speaking on the South wall, White admitted to being a little nervous as Superintendent Richard Oliver made cuts through the corner posts for sill beams and framing.</div>
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<br />“I was a little nervous for the first cut,” said White. “There's a lot of pressure riding on the cuts at this stage, not only due to the time and manpower involved in getting the Cedar here, but by the time the logs were finished, delivered and then adzed, they are valued at $30,000 a piece. I just told Richard, ‘If you can't make the cut, nobody can.”</div>
</div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-10843808274281936642012-06-13T23:01:00.000-07:002012-06-13T23:07:10.632-07:00First of the giant Cedars leave Carving Shed for Shakes Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">A muggy Tuesday morning in Wrangell saw the first batch of freshly adzed Cedar leave the confines of the Carving Shed for Shakes Island. Here are a few pics of the process.</span></div>
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Carvers joined the renovation crew to assist with the transport, which includes toting the up to 27' Cedars across 300' worth of bridge. Just like they did it during the 1940 restoration, dollies help usher the beams and posts across. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAcWuEjMe60/T9l--J0ivXI/AAAAAAAAAFk/48n-IYkFHAA/s1600/IMG_0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAcWuEjMe60/T9l--J0ivXI/AAAAAAAAAFk/48n-IYkFHAA/s640/IMG_0229.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5UfaSDRdFY/T9l2qj5Ju3I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/2EKzY9Mea2g/s1600/IMG_0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5UfaSDRdFY/T9l2qj5Ju3I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/2EKzY9Mea2g/s640/IMG_0250.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">After resting under tarps for months, the totems were recently uncovered to breathe. Laying next to the totems are sill beams, the longest being the aforementioned 27 footer. These beams are pocketed, and the groves will hold panels of Cedar that can be slid in and out of place. Many of these panels were preserved during deconstruction of the Tribal House and will be re-used.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eASbZkKZk2Q/T9l_MBLO8cI/AAAAAAAAAFw/cEKqVwZcZaY/s1600/IMG_0232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eASbZkKZk2Q/T9l_MBLO8cI/AAAAAAAAAFw/cEKqVwZcZaY/s640/IMG_0232.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMHYcU9RlQc/T9l2yo1EpdI/AAAAAAAAAFY/gvWikr6ojts/s1600/IMG_0231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMHYcU9RlQc/T9l2yo1EpdI/AAAAAAAAAFY/gvWikr6ojts/s640/IMG_0231.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here sits one of the corner posts, in front of the Southwest corner of the Tribal House waiting to be raised. This beast of a log was one of the prizes of the Sealaska log donation, and after some artful adzing by carver Justin Smith, it should go a long ways to make sure the house is standing for another 100 years.</div>
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<br />Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-17761719561651735722012-06-06T13:21:00.002-07:002012-06-06T13:21:58.037-07:00M.J. Murdock Trust Awards $222,000 Grant to Chief Shakes Tribal House Restoration<br />
The Tribal House restoration on Chief Shakes Island in Wrangell was awarded another grant<br />
last week, with the latest $222,000 award from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust inching the<br />
project towards full funding.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq6T7acVrTI/T8-7UYeXCSI/AAAAAAAAAEY/intlpgL0zXE/s1600/mjm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq6T7acVrTI/T8-7UYeXCSI/AAAAAAAAAEY/intlpgL0zXE/s320/mjm2.jpg" width="320" /></a>After submitting and revising the grant multiple times beginning in 2009, WCA received notice<br />
on May 24 that the grant had been approved. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust put no<br />
restrictions on the grant distribution, and with the paperwork now officially signed, the entire<br />
$222,000 will be paid out to the WCA at once.<br />
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“We extend our congratulations on your receipt of this grant,” said Steven Moore, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Executive Director. “We wish you significant and satisfying progress as you seek to strengthen and implement the ideals and mission of the Wrangell Cooperative Association.”</div>
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WCA’s Tis Peterman was pleased to hear the funds will arrive at once, and not be piece-mailed to the project. Peterman stated that “Murdock Charitable was very cognizant that we are aiming to get the building renovated this year and wanted to ensure we had all of their funding as we need it.”</div>
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“The funding is very close, if not fully-funded” added Peterman. “It will be dependent on the<br />
costs of the materials needed to reassemble the building. The expense of getting the planks from<br />
Prince of Wales Island was more than originally projected.”<br />
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Work continues on the Tribal House. Recently, Master Carver Steve Brown recently arrived<br />
from Seattle to assess the project, and under advice from Brown, Project Manager Todd White<br />
and his team are working to reassemble the National Historic Site.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Volunteers still needed for 2013 Shakes Island re-dedication, contact the WCA office</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">With Tribal House restoration on schedule, Wrangell Cooperative Association is looking for volunteers to help with the re-dedication ceremony, which will take place in May, 2013. The WCA is in search of committee members and volunteers from all communities to help celebrate the re-opening of our National Historic Site. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">If you can help organize housing, transportation, food, advertising, fund raising, dancing, gift giving or assist in any other fashion, please contact the WCA via phone (907.874.4304), email us at </span><a href="mailto:wcatribe@gmail.com" style="color: #992211; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">wcatribe@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, or stop by the office in downtown Wrangell. Thank you.</span></div>
<br />Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-52685132451823742742012-05-30T10:13:00.000-07:002012-05-30T10:13:07.524-07:00Governor Appropriates $250,000 to Shakes Island, Sealaska Cedars Arrive to Blessing<br />
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<b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Governor Parnell includes Shakes Island in Capital Projects for upcoming fiscal year</span></span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wrangell
Cooperative Association just got another dose of financial help, as Governor
Sean Parnell included the Chief Shakes Tribal House and Carving Shed on the
list of Alaska House District 2 funding recipients for the upcoming fiscal
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Alaska’s
cash position is as strong as it’s ever been," said Governor Parnell in
his annual Budget Message given in Anchorage on May 14th. "We start from a position of strength.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The WCA
submission was just 1 of 8 Wrangell projects recieving funding in the new
budget. The Governor appropriated
$250,000 for use in either, or both of, the Chief Shakes Tribal House
restoration and Carving Shed projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Speaking
with KSTK’s Charlotte Duren, Wrangell Finance Director Jeff Jabusch called
Wrangell’s results in the 2013 Fiscal Year Capital Projects list “by far, one
of the better years we have ever had … We did well last year but I think this
year was even better."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Architectual plans for the new Carving Shed
have been completed, and the 40,000 + sq. ft. building will serve as not only a
carving facility, but will contain retail and office space. Sitting on the land adjacent to the SNO
Building in downtown Wrangell, property given to the WCA by the Tlingit and
Haida Housing Authority, the WCA plans to have master carvers taking one-month
shifts at the facility for a period of 2 years to train local carvers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"We were on the City of Wrangell
priority list for Capitol Projects for over a year," said WCA's Tis
Peterman. "They submitted it and we
were so focused on further fund raising and the Tribal House restoration, which
is currently underway, that we were pleasantly surprised when Senator Bert Stedman
called us in April, letting us know we were still on the Governor's
table."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As far as the Chief Shakes Island
restoration, Peterman says complete funding for the project is “very close,”
after the State appropriation. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NIbHKorO30/T8ZO8XjWM8I/AAAAAAAAADo/vlQMxqGcelM/s1600/sandy+blessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NIbHKorO30/T8ZO8XjWM8I/AAAAAAAAADo/vlQMxqGcelM/s320/sandy+blessing.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandy Churchill - Photo by Greg Knight</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"This is huge for the Tribe,"
said Peterman. "It's not only a
relief to know we will have the money for not only the Tribal House, but enough
set aside to break ground on the new carving facility too. This appropriation by the Governor should
create momentum for further funding."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">First of Sealaska donated Cedars arrive in Wrangell to Native
celebration and blessing</span><span style="color: #215868; font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
first batch of giant Cedars for the Chief Shakes Island restoration were
delivered to the carving facility in Wrangell on this week, where the gift was
met with a songs, beaded regalia and a blessing from members of the Tlingit
community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elders, dancers and Wrangell community members were on hand for the
blessing, which began with a prayer from Father Thomas Joseph Weise of the Saint
Rose of Lima Catholic Church. Tribe
members then brushed the massive, milled logs with Cedar branches and eagle
feathers to brush away the negative spirits, and concluded the blessing with
songs and dancing from members of the local clans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The blessing went beautifully," said Tongass Tribe member Willard
Jackson of Ketchikan, who is assisting the WCA with Tlingit history during the
resoration. "I believe it is
important to remember the tree and its life, as it too was part of this
Earth."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qdTl5p0z0Sc/T8ZPTQTb7QI/AAAAAAAAAD8/LM34lf3x0HI/s1600/justin+dawn+blessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qdTl5p0z0Sc/T8ZPTQTb7QI/AAAAAAAAAD8/LM34lf3x0HI/s320/justin+dawn+blessing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin Smith and Dawn Hutchinson - Photo by Greg Knight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Justin Smith, who first came to
town in 2011 to carve along side Wrangell’s female adzers, has returned to the
city he claims to love Wrangell more than his hometown to help with the
restoration.</span></span></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Justin Smith and Dawn Hutchinson - Photo
by Greg Knight<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"The
blessing was great," said Smith.
"We want this house to get built and everyone involved with the
restoration to be safe. I'm going to be
here in Wrangell until the project is finished and the job is done. The Cedar looks really good and I can't wait
to get started so further generations can continue to honor Chief Shakes." <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Smith and his brother are working to restore a Tribal House in their home
of Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory, and is hoping to see the Chief Shakes
project to the end and take some of that knowledge back with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sealaska granted the WCA's request for Cedar, with logs found on nearby
Prince of Whales Island by the Sealaska Timber Corporation (STC) . Had the Sealaska donation not come through, the
WCA could have been looking at an estimated $120,000 to purchase a dozen Cedars
of that size and quality to finish the corner posts of the Tribal House.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Project Manager Todd White called the first batch of Cedar "great
looking wood ... We've cleared a spot in
the carving facility for these logs.
They're huge, so we're gonna need a backhoe to move them. The corner posts are priority, so we're going
to get them into the shed and get the adzers going on them right away."</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Volunteers still needed for 2013 Shakes Island re-dedication,
contact the WCA office</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="color: #215868; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;">With Tribal House restoration on schedule,
Wrangell Cooperative Association is looking for volunteers to help with the
re-dedication ceremony, which will take place in May, 2013. The WCA is in search of committee members and
volunteers from all communities to help celebrate the re-opening of our
National Historic Site. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">If you can help
organize housing, transportation, food, advertising, fund raising,
dancing, gift giving or assist in any other fashion, please contact the WCA via
phone (907.874.4304), email us at </span><a href="mailto:wcatribe@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">wcatribe@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, or stop by the office in
downtown Wrangell. Thank you.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bNu8f_D--oI/T8ZPPbzDSKI/AAAAAAAAAD0/8ncovva_mvw/s1600/group+blessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bNu8f_D--oI/T8ZPPbzDSKI/AAAAAAAAAD0/8ncovva_mvw/s400/group+blessing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Greg Knight</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-71030323347234388442012-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:002012-05-02T07:00:09.885-07:00Wrangell Cooperative planning Shakes Island re-dedication, needs volunteers<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With the Tribal House restoration chugging right along, Wrangell Cooperative Association has begun preliminary planning for the Shakes Island re-dedication event.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5LIjvtDyQI/T6DNJZFj1yI/AAAAAAAAADc/SqqV9mvEq6A/s640/shakes+house+dedication.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1940 Chief Shakes Tribal House dedication<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5LIjvtDyQI/T6DNJZFj1yI/AAAAAAAAADc/SqqV9mvEq6A/s1600/shakes+house+dedication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The WCA met
Saturday, April 28, at the American Legion Hall to begin planning the ceremony, tentatively scheduled for May 2013. There aren't many Tribal House re-dedications
to compare to, so while WCA’s Tis Peterman is planning to for a rough estimate of 500 visitors for the ribbon cutting ceremony, she has left the door open for than number to be much greater. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Looking
at numbers from similar events around Southeast Alaska, and throw in the fact
that Haines and Kasaan are looking to do renovations to tribal houses like
Shakes Island, we could be looking at more than 500,” said Peterman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Numbers exceeding this estimate will create some extra work to accommodate visitors to Wrangell, especially in the area of housing. The lack of available beds in town may cause the WCA to get creative with their planning, including perhaps bringing in a ferry to house the overflow, or getting people to open up their homes to visiting parties.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“We will have a
better estimate on total visitors after the dance committee gets filled up,”
continued Peterman. “We’ll be conducting an outreach, hopefully recruiting
dancers from communities all around Southeast.
We could see as much as 30 dancers per community participating in the
re-dedication ... we'll know more after Celebration 2012 in Juneau, we can gauge interest from other communities there.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">WCA is looking for volunteers to pull off a ceremony for the ages. Committees are being formed to organize housing, transportation, food, advertising, fund raising, dancing, gift giving and much more. If you would
like to help with the re-dedication, sign-up sheets can be found at the WCA
office. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The next WCA meeting is scheduled
for 6 p.m. on May 9<sup>th</sup> at the American Legion Hall in Wrangell. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-39983065528340678842012-05-01T15:47:00.000-07:002012-05-01T15:47:35.489-07:00Concrete being poured, Cedar logs on the way<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Project Manager Todd White stated that he
was “very happy” with the schedule the restoration is keeping, as walls have
already been removed and concrete is currently being poured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ez5zJyYvspo/T6BnFCD3HVI/AAAAAAAAADI/KQUYUg3403g/s1600/pour+foundation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ez5zJyYvspo/T6BnFCD3HVI/AAAAAAAAADI/KQUYUg3403g/s320/pour+foundation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“The concrete
will go a long ways to help to battle moisture and helping prevent future
insect and pest infestation by keeping the Cedar dry and off the ground,” said
White. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">While the Tribal House will have a new
floor and footings, the centerpiece of the structure has been preserved. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Original restoration plans had the Tribal
House’s historic fire pit to be replaced.
Carbon dating conducted on the ash dates the pit back to the late 1800’s
and White quickly changed the plans to leave the pit untouched. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N95XAB1ajKQ/T6BnVdwMm9I/AAAAAAAAADQ/ssCaHvqN5Z4/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N95XAB1ajKQ/T6BnVdwMm9I/AAAAAAAAADQ/ssCaHvqN5Z4/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The Shakes Island crew carefully covered
the pit with planks as concrete was delivered one wheelbarrow at a time,
creating a foundation to ensure visitors will enjoy the fire pit for another
100 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In other
restoration news, Sealaska has confirmed that the 12 giant, Cedar logs donated to the
project have been found by the Sealaska Timber Corporation on nearby Prince of Whales Island and delivered to
Thorne Bay to be finished by the Thaja Plicata Lumber Company. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Delivering
the logs to Wrangell is expected to be a 10-day process, but the Cedar will be
transported as quickly as possible to begin adzing. Wood currently occupying the carving facility
will be moved to containers located on the site of the future Carving Shed to
make room for the giant, Cedar logs, which are the priority.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-86328415953185330002012-04-23T12:53:00.001-07:002012-04-23T15:34:58.493-07:00Tribal House restoration moving along swimmingly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvjYzRUcEA/T5Ws-DKO_NI/AAAAAAAAACs/qZvBVGReSfc/s1600/Before+After.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvjYzRUcEA/T5Ws-DKO_NI/AAAAAAAAACs/qZvBVGReSfc/s640/Before+After.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's all that's left standing of the Tribal House on the right. Pretty impressive when compared to what it was just weeks ago. No floor, no walls, no corner posts. Just a roof resting upon Cedar some eight decades old. Spring weather has cooperated and Project Manager Todd White has his crew working like a well-oiled machine, leaving tons of visual progress on the National Historic site's restoration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During last week's WCA member meeting, White drove home the fact that some of the Cedar, while more than 82-years-old, was in great shape and the project is most definitely "a partial restoration, not a complete re-build." </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
“We have a lot of good cedar being removed from the
structure and the main beams look fine,” White continued. “We are looking to
re-use.”</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AtCF1h983Bo/T5WvudoVRMI/AAAAAAAAAC0/4D27cQFmg6w/s1600/Tribal+House+bug+damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AtCF1h983Bo/T5WvudoVRMI/AAAAAAAAAC0/4D27cQFmg6w/s320/Tribal+House+bug+damage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">White went on to say that they discovered a carpenter infestation, including some behind the Tribal House screen. “Bugs are just a maintenance that we’re going
to have to keep up with.</span>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As far as prevention of another infestation, White stated
that they're</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> installing a new concrete foundation to keep the cedar off the ground, and a dependable
roof system, consisting of not only the cedar shakes, but also plywood and Water
Shield to limit any moisture damage to the structure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">While we would not want to flood the work site with visitors, White encourages community members to come down and check out the project. The island is open.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;">Overall, all involved seem pleased with the progress thus far, and more help is on the way in the form of more funding and donations. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">In addition to the $450,000 Rasmuson grant received in December, WCA was recently awarded 12 large, Cedar logs critical to the Tribal House architecture from Sealaska. Early re-con trips to Prince of Whales has White excited, saying the wood he saw was "awesome Cedar."</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Tlingit & Haida Regional Housing Authority recently announced that it would give WCA the land adjacent to the SNO Building to construct the shiny, new Carving Shed. The 4,000+ sq ft property already has plans and partial funding, so ground breaking could happen as early as 2012. The temporary carving facility currently sits on the property, but will make way for the permanent structure, which will also include retail and office space.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“We had to
flip-flop our priorities when we found out how bad of shape Chief Shakes House
was,” said WCA's Carol Snoddy on the numerous Carving Shed delays. “We now see the carving facility
as Phase 2 in the Shakes Island renovation.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Wca-Tribe-Wrangell/100001896091194" target="_blank">Click here to check out more photos of the Shakes Island project on our facebook page.</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-81934617601693100622011-11-11T15:12:00.000-08:002011-11-11T15:12:13.771-08:00Shakes Island and the Civilian Conservation Corps<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Emily Moore</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jK_oh6ifH4E/Tr2rK9E3fRI/AAAAAAAAACM/QRV-p8khsac/s1600/j_ccc1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" nda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jK_oh6ifH4E/Tr2rK9E3fRI/AAAAAAAAACM/QRV-p8khsac/s320/j_ccc1939.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Shakes Island Restoration Project belongs to a long history of restorations at Wrangell that dates back to the 1930s (if not before). During the Great Depression, the U.S. Forest Service oversaw a restoration of Shakes Island as part of a major federal initiative to preserve Tlingit and Haida totem poles in Southeast Alaska. Local Tlingit men were hired to do the restoration work through the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the relief program that was the hallmark of President Roosevelt's New Deal. The hope of the CCC restoration program was to provide local men with short-term jobs preserving totem poles in a "totem park" that would attract tourists and thus provide long-term jobs for Native artists. During the New Deal restoration project, the lead carvers at Wrangell were Joe Thomas and Tom Ukas. Many other local men helped to adze boards, rough out the totem poles, and erect a new version of the Shakes House. When the park was completed, Natives and non-Natives celebrated with the Wrangell Potlatch, June 3-4, 1940. It was then that Charles Jones, who had also worked for the CCC, was named the next Chief Shakes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shakes Island is one of six totem parks established by the CCC in Southeast Alaska during the Great Depression. (Klawock, Hydaburg, Kasaan, Saxman and Totem Bight are the other parks.) The CCC also restored totem poles at the park in Sitka and carved three totem poles for Juneau. Some scholars have argued that these New Deal totem parks represented a government appropriation of Native heritage. They point out that the idea of a "totem park" was not a Tlingit or Haida concept, and that traditionally totem poles were not preserved but were allowed to decay naturally. While this is true, it is also important to note that Tlingit and Haida peoples have adopted the New Deal totem parks for their own cultural needs. The Wrangell Potlatch and the succession of Charles Jones to the rank of Chief Shakes is one example of how Wrangell Tlingits used the totem park to advance Tlingit traditions in the 1940s. And the Shakes Island Restoration project today shows how the park continues to serve as a site for Tlingit art and culture. A hundred years from now, historians may study this restoration project as part of a long and proud tradition of totem pole restoration at Shakes Island.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emily Moore is PhD Candidate in the history of art at the University of California, Berkeley. Raised in Ketchikan, she is completing her dissertation on the six totem parks in Southeast Alaska created during the New Deal, 1938-1941. Anyone with information on carvers who participated in the New Deal projects are encouraged to contact Emily at emilylmoore@berkeley.edu, so that she can honor their role in this early restoration project. You can also view her presentation to the Sealaska Heritage Institute by going to </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/29455942"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://vimeo.com/29455942</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Photo is courtesy of University of Washington Libraries. The caption reads "Tlingit totem pole being carved inside the Civilian Conservation Corps workshop, Wrangell, Alaska, 1939."</span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-57192294006812235892011-11-04T10:54:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:54:54.875-07:00GoodSearch Fundraiser<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’re excited to announce that the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) Association, the tribe’s non-profit, has been accepted to GoodSearch and GoodShop! More than 100,000 nonprofits and schools participate in this to raise funds. You can help by doing the following: </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Use GoodSearch.com - A search engine powered by Yahoo!, so you get great search results, and each time you search, GoodSearch makes a donation to our cause.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Use GoodShop.com - An online marketplace that donates a percentage of your purchase to our nonprofit. You can choose from more than 2,500 popular merchants. Shopping through GoodShop is the same as going to the retailer's websites directly but it also helps our cause. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Download the GoodSearch & GoodShop Toolbar. The GoodSearch Toolbar works with your browser to ensure that our cause earns money every time you shop and search - even if you skip going to GoodShop or GoodSearch first. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, visit our home page at <a href="http://www.shakesisland.com/">http://www.shakesisland.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and click on the GoodSearch logo to get started today. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a special welcome offer, Vistaprint is giving GoodShop users 50% off custom printed postcards, business cards, posters, brochures, banners, invitations & other great products. In addition 6.5% of your purchase will be donated back to our cause! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gunalchéesh</span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-29741164492371738662011-11-03T13:28:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:30:07.595-07:00Linda Churchill on Carving and Her Dad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WggqtZTv1T8/TrL5DPGqQ0I/AAAAAAAAABw/t6ThLEHFMVE/s1600/Linda_Churchill_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WggqtZTv1T8/TrL5DPGqQ0I/AAAAAAAAABw/t6ThLEHFMVE/s320/Linda_Churchill_Cropped.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">[My goals are to] be a better adzer and try and work on my own at home. And I want to try and make a mask. My dad made several masks that I can look at and try and study. And he made beautiful, beautiful eight-foot long medicine paddles or shaman paddles and he used my hair on them. If I could get good photos of what he has left here, I’d like to try and make my father happy even though he’s not right here with me. In fact, there’s a two-finned killer whale he did down at Chief Shakes grave. A couple of years ago I noticed the wind had blown and one fin was missing. I got hold of three different people trying to get somebody replicate it while the one fin was still there [to copy]. And no one did anything and last year the second fin disappeared. So, I mentioned it to John Martin, and he said he’s going to get a special piece of wood, and make a template, and I get to do copy my Dad’s fins. So that’s cool. </span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0Wrangell, AK, USA56.4708333 -132.3766666000000256.379201800000004 -132.4966941 56.5624648 -132.25663910000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-22097737077988409752011-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:30:49.303-07:00Susie Kasinger on Wanting to be a Carver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JactgcdINmw/Tq7_v5TzRMI/AAAAAAAAABo/4LLJEQx--p8/s1600/Susie_Kasinger_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JactgcdINmw/Tq7_v5TzRMI/AAAAAAAAABo/4LLJEQx--p8/s320/Susie_Kasinger_Cropped.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I took a JOM class in middle school and we made a plaque. So, carving is something I’ve always been interested in and appreciate. I mean, I could stand and look at that bench out in front of Wells Fargo for a long time. A couple of years ago, I signed up for the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan to do the carving class. I already took the power tools class. But then our rear end went out of our truck, so we had to use the money to get that fixed. I was going to sign up for it this year but then this job came along. So maybe next year if I’m not doing anything, because you have to take the introduction to carving and design. You have to go by step by step and take each class. About eight years ago, I took a class with Steve Brown. I still have all that stuff. I want to go somewhere. I guess there’s a place in Terrace too that’s really good. And he [Steve Brown] said that if I got that on my resume, I could go anywhere. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my girlfriends, she’s like, you’re not going to be able to make a living doing a hobby. I don’t consider it a hobby. It’s more serious to me. I’m just a late bloomer I guess. It’s always something that I’ve wanted to do but then you got your kids, and you got this come up and that come up. I told my husband, why do I have to wait for my kids to graduate before I do something I want to do? I just want to do something that I want. I keep telling my daughter too, find something you really like<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>don’t do it just to make money. </span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-27507534117113189922011-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-31T13:09:22.173-07:00Wayne Price on Why He Wanted to Work on This Project<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_EOvVoU-RY/TpyQ_wB8A4I/AAAAAAAAAAM/UEemuwfkCNU/s1600/Wayne_Price_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_EOvVoU-RY/TpyQ_wB8A4I/AAAAAAAAAAM/UEemuwfkCNU/s320/Wayne_Price_Cropped.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wrangell is pretty close to my heart…I have my artwork before the Chief Shakes house posts and then I have my artwork after. When Steve Brown and I did the house posts in the 80s, we did 6 totem poles plus the 4 house posts. So, I spent 6 or 7 years here living in Wrangell. My son was born here in Wrangell<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>my first born<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>and I have a pretty good standing history from that time here in Wrangell. So, I went out there carving in a lot of other places, [but] I knew Chief Shakes clan house had to be done. And, they’ve had a rough road to get here. If it wasn’t for a few people standing their post during the hard times, we may not be where we’re at right now. I commend those that stayed with it. I built a clan house up in Anchorage at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in the year 2000 and I know what it takes to build a clan house. Anything about carving wood, I like to be involved. Big projects, I like to be involved…If the chance came up in my lifetime to do the Chief Shakes house, I wanted to be here.</span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0Wrangell, AK, USA56.4708333 -132.3766666000000256.379201800000004 -132.4966941 56.5624648 -132.25663910000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-3904751695398637852011-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:002011-10-17T13:58:31.076-07:00Vanessa Pazar on Adzing Patterns<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xaxHGi9LMqo/TpyR6I3Pd4I/AAAAAAAAAAY/SMnrit2njZU/s1600/Vanessa_Pazaar_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xaxHGi9LMqo/TpyR6I3Pd4I/AAAAAAAAAAY/SMnrit2njZU/s320/Vanessa_Pazaar_Cropped.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Excerpt from Interview with Vanessa Pazar:</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve watched them (the other adzers in the shed) so closely that you know when they’re having a bad day, they’re distracted or tired or not feeling well…My hope is that 70 years from now there’s going be a group of people looking at our clan house who will be able to point out who’s adzing is what. I know that in my studies of the clan house, Chief Shakes clan house, there are different patterns of different adzes. Wayne suspects there might be people that came in for a short amount of time and then left. But…I have 3 different adzes that I use and my spacing and my rows are the same but the mark is different. So, I wonder who will notice that. It’s really hard to pick out the different adzes though. You have to know what you’re looking for as far as what the differences are, the different marks of the adze. [The new adzers’ patterns have] changed even from a week ago... They’ve come so far. I’m really proud of them. Even from last Friday, their patterns have changed that dramatically. </span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0Wrangell, AK, USA56.4708333 -132.3766666000000256.379201800000004 -132.4966941 56.5624648 -132.25663910000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-76759943065322265422011-10-09T10:56:00.000-07:002011-10-17T13:59:45.014-07:00Tammi Meissner on How the Project has Strengthened Her Views of Her Culture<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eTCTPNsdCM/TpySKOo-WTI/AAAAAAAAAAg/jgh3W8HUGJ4/s1600/Tammi_Meissner_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0eTCTPNsdCM/TpySKOo-WTI/AAAAAAAAAAg/jgh3W8HUGJ4/s320/Tammi_Meissner_Cropped.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Joy:</b> Has being involved in this project changed your views about your culture at all?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tammi:</b> It has strengthened them by far. [Especially] moving the totem poles, moving the artwork, seeing those poles up close. Because you always looked up to them waaaay up high and you saw them but you didn’t really get to see them. We got to touch them and clean them and feel them. We’re so proud of them…we feel connected. At least I feel connected. We got done moving the [undersea] bear totem…We moved him from the back of the house all the way over [next to the Eagle totem]. It took us 3 ½ hours and we worked non-stop. We did it by hand and by pulley - 3 women, 2 men. It was great. Great teamwork but it was nerve wracking because it was really muddy out there. Anyway, we got done and we were pooped and nervous so we sat down at the very end...to take a 5 minute break. We sat down and this eagle comes flying down…right over the top [of us] and landed in the cottonwood behind [Chief] Shakes [House]. And then a raven comes in and lands on the tree too. It was just crazy. It was balanced. They sat there for about 10 minutes and then they left and we continued on. I think was a sign. So it just strengthens my feeling towards my culture, my people. I’m so happy to be doing this. I feel blessed. </span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0Wrangell, AK, USA56.4708333 -132.3766666000000256.379201800000004 -132.4966941 56.5624648 -132.25663910000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6644858432254781646.post-46765408298354767772011-10-06T15:55:00.000-07:002011-10-17T14:00:51.210-07:00Shakes Island is Wrangell's Island<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N0xgXiWtiY0/TpyTYTcvhBI/AAAAAAAAAAo/b4IfH48iyI0/s1600/Shakes_Island_1940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N0xgXiWtiY0/TpyTYTcvhBI/AAAAAAAAAAo/b4IfH48iyI0/s320/Shakes_Island_1940.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Even though Shakes Island is technically owned by the Wrangell Cooperative Association, all of Wrangell feels ownership of the island. Its location in the center of the harbor puts it in the center of maritime activities. You can see it from most places in town, from the top of Mt. Dewey and from the highway driving into town. It has been a place to hold picnics, go swimming, take our visiting friends, and even to party. But most of all, it is a daily reminder of our Tlingit heritage. Wrangell, as Wayne Price so aptly says, is “an unrecognized stronghold of Tlingit culture.” Maybe because we see this heritage every day as we drive around town – from Shakes Island to the totem park to the artwork at the bank to the petroglyphs to the faces of our family and friends, we don’t recognize this. Hopefully, this project will help us see with new eyes that our Tlingit heritage is precious and needs to be not just preserved but reawakened and renewed in the light of a new century. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">As always, Wrangell is proud of our island. Usually we mean this to be Wrangell Island. But we’re also proud of Shakes Island. It’s our island too. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Learn more at </span><a href="http://www.shakesisland.com/"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">www.ShakesIsland.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">. </span></div>Wrangell Cooperative Associationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05183046493409448760noreply@blogger.com0Wrangell, AK, USA56.4708333 -132.3766666000000256.379201800000004 -132.4966941 56.5624648 -132.25663910000003