On a cold, crisp evening in December with the snow piled on the ground and golden oldies blaring from the stereo, United States Marine Corps veteran and master carver Jonathan Rowan is hard at work.
Earlier this year, a bare red cedar log was brought into the carving shed in Klawock. This simple log was to become a totem pole but not just any totem pole, and only the second of its kind in Alaska: A totem pole to be raised in honor of the veterans of Prince of Wales Island.
The project began as an idea amongst friends and fellow veterans at Annie Betty’s, a local eatery in Craig. Among them, Army 82nd Airborne veteran Aaron Isaacs, retired Navy chief petty officer Lonnie Walters, Army veterans Roy Clark and Fred Peratrovich, and Air Force veteran Irving Langmaid were the driving force behind the project.
“It was just an idea I had,” Isaacs said. “I tossed it out there and nobody objected, so we continued with it.”
After years of setbacks, Isaacs and the Prince of Wales Veterans Association were able to procure a red cedar tree through the assistance of the United States Forest Service. In June 2010, after final selection of a tree outside of Polk Inlet, Brent Cole of Craig and his crew from Alaska Specialty Wood assisted with harvesting and transporting the log along the initial leg of its journey. The log was welcomed by several local native dance groups as spectators and veterans watched the small caravan of vehicles draw into the carving shed parking lot.
Now, several years later, the project is once more well underway. Rowan worked closely with Isaacs to develop the design that would be carved into the totem and began the rough carving in September.
The totem pole will stand 37 feet tall and will feature several designs. Two figures at the base of the totem will represent veterans both past and present. On the rear of the pole will be a carved bent wood box featuring the P.O.W./M.I.A flag carved in relief to represent those who served and are no longer with us. Each branch of the armed services will be represented on the pole as well.
“It’s taken nearly 15 to 20 years to get to this point,” Rowan said. “To see this pole go up and what it represents is significant, and being a veteran and able to carve this pole, that’s an added bonus.”
At the annual Veterans’ Day dinner hosted by the Klawock Cooperative Association, Isaacs and Rowan announced that the totem pole would be completed by September 2017. The final site of the pole is still being determined.
Isaacs and the Prince of Wales Veterans Association was able to raise $51,000 for the project through donations and contributions. The Prince of Wales Veterans Association would like to thank Triwest of Phoenix Arizona, The State of Alaska Department of Veterans Affairs, the Alaska Legislature, and all other contributors that made this project possible.
• Quinn Aboudara is a lifelong resident of Prince of Wales Island. He may be contacted at the Sustainable Southeast Partnership office or by email: kcacatalyst@klawocktribe.org.
Aaron Isaacs and Jonathan Rowan announce the Veterans Totem Pole Project at the 2016 Veterans Appreciation Dinner, hosted by the Klawock Cooperative Association.
Original Concept Designs drafted by Jonathan Rowan and Aaron Isaacs
Master Carver Jonathan Rowan working on the Veterans Totem Pole.
