The Chief Johnson pole in downtown Ketchikan. (KRBD file photo)
The City of Ketchikan’s Museum Department plans to temporarily take down the Chief Johnson Totem Pole downtown, in order to clean the pole and do some repair work.
According to an announcement from the museum, the pole is owned by the Tongass Tribe, which has given permission to the city to maintain and care for it.
Weather dependent, the pole will be taken down on Tuesday. It will be taken to the old fire hall on Main Street. Carver Tommy Joseph has been hired to do the cleaning and repairs. The repair work will include restoration of the raven figure’s beak, which broke away from the main pole in 2016.
In addition to cleaning and repairing the pole, Joseph will treat it to help preserve the historic carving. The work is expected to take six weeks.
When that work is completed, the pole will be returned to its downtown location.
