Web posted August 12, 2005

Alaska Digest

Staff and Wire reports

Carving of totem focus of Web cam

JUNEAU - Sealaska Heritage Institute is hosting a live camera on its Web site showing master carvers Ray Peck and Jim Marks carving a totem pole at Sealaska Plaza.

The Web site is http://www.sealaskaheritage.org.

The Web venture marks the first time the institute has broadcast a Native art project live on the Internet, said Dr. Rosita Worl, president of the institute.

"Most often people see a finished totem pole but they have no idea of the work that goes into carving a totem pole," Worl said. "This will be the first time viewers will be able to go to the Internet and watch the carving of a totem pole right from the beginning to the end."

The artists will carve a seven-foot totem for Nypro, a plastics company and business partner of Sealaska Corp.

Nypro plans to raise the pole at its Clinton, Mass., headquarters in December to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

The design conceived by Peck and Marks recalls the story of K?naak, a legend about a clan leader who was entering a bay and saw hundreds of salmon dancing on their fins, as if they were standing together. The legend has been used to represent people standing together.

The pole is expected to be finished by Nov. 1.