The Stolen Totem Pole

In the summer of 1899, a group of Seattle businessmen on a “Goodwill Tour” of Southeast Alaska happened upon the Tsimshian village of Port Tongass, its inhabitants all away fishing.

Thinking one of the gorgeous totem poles would look great in Seattle, they cut down the best one there, loaded it aboard and headed south.

The natives returned in their cedar canoes just as a large unfamiliar steam powered vessel was leaving. To their shock, when they went ashore they discovered that one of their revered totems was missing; sawed off at the base and taken.

They immediately set out, paddling toward the steamboat, sure that they were the thieves. But after an hour or so they were easily outpaced by the steamer and returned, empty handed to their home.

The totem was eventually put on display at Seattle’s well known Pioneer Square. The thieves said that the village where they had gotten the totem was abandoned. However, they were eventually indicted for theft in Alaska, but never were extradited to face justice.

But even cedar rots in the damp Northwest and at the end of 45 years, it was time to replace the totem.

By that time the tribe had moved from Tongass Island to Saxman, about 2 miles south of downtown Ketchikan. The Seattle city fathers, not knowing where their totem had been stolen from, contacted the tribe and was given a bid of $30,000 for a new totem, payment due before carving started.

They agreed, approved the new drawings and sent the money off.

And got back a curt message: “The thirty grand was for the pole you stole 40 years ago; if you want a new pole, that will be another thirty grand.”

The new pole was carved and stands in Pioneer Square today.