Alaska
K'alyaan Pole
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In 1804, the Tlingit Kiks.adi clan fought a key battle
against invading Russian forces at the mouth of Indian
River. The Kiks.adi Pole is a memorial to those Kiks.
adi people who lost their lives in the conflict. It is
named after K’alyaan, the legendary warrior who led
the battle.
The top figure on the pole is Raven, representing the
whole of the Raven moiety. The figures below are Raven
clan crests. From the top to the bottom, they are:
- Woodworm
- Sockeye salmon
- Dog salmon
- Beaver
- Frog.
The bottom figure represents the Raven helmet worn
by K’alyaan during battle.
This totem was commissioned by Kiks.adi leader Al
Perkins and carved in 1999 by Tlingit Tommy Joseph
with assistant carver Fred Beltran at the Southeast
Alaska Indian Cultural center.
It was raised on the site of the historic Kiks.adi fort
with the help of the Sitka community.
Following the memorial ceremonies marking its dedication,
the pole was given to the park by the Kiks.adi
in memory of their ancestors of long ago who fought
the battle that marked the last major Native resistance
in Sitka to European domination in Alaska.
Sitka National Historic Park
