KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Recent social media videos showing visitors mocking, imitating, or otherwise disrespecting Alaska Native totem poles and cultural symbols are deeply disappointing and unacceptable.
 
These actions reflect a troubling lack of understanding about the people, histories, and living cultures represented by these cultural treasures.
 
Totem poles are not props for entertainment. They are not backdrops for social media content.
 
For the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, totem poles represent the histories, identities, relationships, and responsibilities of clans, houses, and families. They carry the stories of our ancestors and serve as visible reminders of who we are, where we come from, and what we are entrusted to protect for future generations.
 
They are not relics of the past.


They are part of living cultures that continue today.
 
Ketchikan Indian Community serves Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribal citizens and acknowledges that Ketchikan exists within the traditional homelands of the Tlingit people. Long before Alaska became a destination for visitors from around the world, these lands and waters sustained Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial.
 
“Respect must be the foundation of any relationship between Indigenous communities and those who benefit from our cultures, our art, our histories, and our homelands,” said Gloria Burns, President of Ketchikan Indian Community. “We expect visitors to honor the places and communities they visit, just as we would honor theirs.”
 
The relationship between our people and our homelands is not merely historical. It continues today.
 
Our ancestors taught us that we belong to the land, and with that belonging comes responsibility. The land teaches the culture. The culture teaches stewardship of the land.


"Totem poles are not tourist props, social media backdrops, or objects to be mocked for entertainment. They carry our histories, clan stories, ancestors, and cultural teachings. While some may intend this trend to be fun or good-natured, the unintended consequence is that it diminishes and trivializes living Indigenous cultures," said Richard J. Peterson, President, Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. "We welcome visitors to our homelands and encourage people to learn about our cultures with respect. We ask that those who visit Southeast Alaska honor our totem poles and cultural treasures with the same care they would expect for the places, histories, and traditions sacred to them."


When culturally significant places, monuments, or symbols are mocked for entertainment, it is more than disrespect toward an object. It is disrespect toward the people, histories, and communities connected to them.
 
“Totem poles are not tourist attractions created for public amusement,” said Emily Edenshaw, CEO and Tribal Administrator of Ketchikan Indian Community. “They are expressions of identity, history, and responsibility that have been carried forward by Indigenous peoples for generations. When visitors mock these cultural treasures, they are not simply making a joke. They are showing disregard for the communities, ancestors, and living traditions those poles represent.”
 
Visitors are welcome on our homelands.
 
We welcome people who come here to learn, to listen, and to experience the richness of Alaska Native cultures. But being a guest carries responsibility. Respect should not be optional. It should be the minimum expectation.


"For Alaska Native peoples, culture is not something we visit - it is something we live," said Kelsey Ciugun Wallace, President and CEO, Alaska Native Heritage Center. "Every totem pole, carving, song, regalia, language, and story across Alaska Native cultures reflects generations of knowledge, responsibility, and connection to place. Visitors are welcome here, and we want people to experience the richness and diversity of Alaska Native cultures. With that opportunity comes a responsibility to respect the people, places, and traditions that make those experiences possible."
 
This incident is not simply about a social media trend. It reflects broader challenges that Indigenous peoples continue to face, including cultural appropriation, the sale of counterfeit Native art, the misrepresentation of Indigenous histories, and the commercialization of Native cultures without meaningful Indigenous leadership and involvement.
 
Too often, Indigenous cultures are celebrated when they generate economic benefit and ignored when respect and accountability are required.
 
Ketchikan Indian Community calls upon tourism organizations, elected officials, industry leaders, and visitors alike to reject racist behavior, cultural mockery, and the exploitation of Indigenous identity for profit. We encourage greater education, stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities, and a shared commitment to honoring the First Peoples of these lands.
 
Our cultures are not trends.
Our histories are not content.
Our clans, families, and ancestors are not costumes for entertainment.
These lands are our homelands.
Respect is not optional.
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About Ketchikan Indian Community
Ketchikan Indian Community is a federally recognized tribe serving Tribal citizens and the broader community through healthcare, social services, cultural programs, education, housing, and community initiatives rooted in the values of Healthy People, Healthy Tribe.

About Tlingit and Haida 
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) is the largest federally recognized tribe in Alaska, serving more than 38,000 Tribal citizens worldwide. Headquartered in Juneau on the ancestral homelands of the Áak’w Kwáan people, Tlingit & Haida was established in 1935 to pursue a landmark land claim on behalf of the Tlingit and Haida people. Today, the Tribe is dedicated to protecting Tribal sovereignty, advancing self-governance and self-determination, preserving the cultures and traditions of the Tlingit and Haida peoples, and strengthening the health, well-being, and economic prosperity of Tribal citizens and communities. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and strong leadership, Tlingit & Haida works to create opportunities for current and future generations while honoring the values, resilience, and wisdom of our Ancestors.

About the Alaska Native Heritage Center
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a nonprofit organization that preserves and strengthens the traditions, languages and arts of Alaska’s Native Peoples through statewide collaboration, celebration and education. To learn more, visit www.alaskanative.net (https://www.alaskanative.net/).