Sitka National Historical Park Created (1910)

Sitka, Alaska, lies in the resource-rich archipelago of islands that make up the tail of the state alongside the north Pacific coast.  The history of Alaska and that of Sitka intertwine in a complex story of cultures and natural resources.  To commemorate that history, Sitka National Historical Park was created.

Sitka, Alaska, lies on the shore of Baranof Island (photo byChristopher Michel)

Sitka sits on the shore of Baranof Island, an island slightly larger than the state of Delaware.  The Tlingit people have lived there for at least 10,000 years, establishing a rich culture based around the abundant natural resources of the region.  The ocean is rich in fish and shellfish, the forest grows massive Sitka spruce and other trees, suppling wood for homes, canoes and other needs.  The forest is rich in wildlife, providing another source of food and hides for clothing and shelter.  Because of the stable and beneficent resources, the Tlingit people established strong families and communities, with traditional music, dance and art.

Trail in Sitka National Historical Park (photo by James Crippen)

The abundant resources also attracted European settlers beginning in the late 1700s.  Russians in search of fur pelts dominated the region for much of the 18th Century, establishing the city of Archangel (later Sitka) as their primary trading and administrative hub.  The Tlingits fought back against this colonization, notably in two battles, in 1802 and 1804, that the national park commemorates.  Although the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, the Russia heritage of the region continued—and Sitka now contains two of only four Russian-built structures in the Western hemisphere, one in the national park.

Totem pole, carved by Tommy Joseph, showing a raven above an eagle (photo by National Park Service)

The combination of rich Tlingit, Russian and American heritage led early Alaskan leaders to create a local historic park dedicated both to the individual cultures and their fusion.  As early as 1890, President Benjamin Harrison enacted the rudiments of a park, making it the oldest federally designated park in Alaska.  However, little notice was taken of the action beyond the local community.  The park suffered from vandalism and neglect until a group of leading Sitka residents convinced President Taft to designate the park as a national monument, on March 23, 1910.  In 1972, the park was re-named a national historical park.

Today, Sitka National Historical Park occupies just 113 acres, but its small size belies its importance.  The park honors the Tlingit people and their culture with a series of more than 25 standing totem poles and a heritage center that not only houses an impressive collection of Tlingit artifacts (nearly 250,000), but also teaches succeeding generations of Tlingit children about their cultural traditions.  Annual visitation to the park is about 200,000.

References:

Antonson, Joan M. and William S. Hanable.  1987.  An Administrative History of Sitka National Historical Park.  National Park Service.  Available at:  https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/sitk/adhi/index.htm.  Accessed March 20, 2018.

National Park Service.  Sitka National Park, Alaska.  Available at:  https://www.nps.gov/sitk/index.htm.  Accessed March 20, 2018.

National Park Service.  Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska.  Available at:  https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/Sitka_National_Historical_Park.html.  Accessed March 20, 2018.

This Month in Conservation

September 1
Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, Died (1914)
September 2
President Roosevelt Dedicated Great Smoky National Park (1940)
September 3
Wilderness Act passed (1964)
September 4
Fort Bragg, Home of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Established (1918)
September 5
UNESCO Established First World Heritage Sites (1978)
September 6
Alcide d’Orbigny, French Naturalist, Born (1802)
September 7
Edward Birge, Father of Limnology, born (1851)
September 8
UN Millennium Declaration ratified (2000)
September 9
First “Bug” Found in Computer (1945)
September 10
Henry Hardtner, Father of Southern Forestry, Born (1870)
September 11
World Wildlife Fund Began Operations (1961)
September 12
Canyonlands National Park Established (1964)
September 13
Walter Reed born (1851)
September 14
Marc Reisner, Author of Cadillac Desert (1948)
September 15
Darwin reaches the Galapagos Islands (1835)
September 16
Ed Begley Jr., Environmental Advocate, born (1949)
September 17
Edgar Wayburn, Wilderness Advocate, Born (1906)
September 18
Grey Owl, Pioneering Conservationist in Canada, Born (1888)
September 19
Urmas Tartes, Estonian Nature Photographer, born (1963)
September 20
AAAS Founded (1848)
September 21
Assateague Island National Seashore Created (1965)
September 22
Peace Corps becomes law (1961)
September 23
Rose Selected as U.S. National Flower (1986)
September 24
President Kennedy Dedicated Pinchot Institute (1963)
September 25
Pope Francis Addressed the UN on the Environment (2015)
September 26
Johnny Appleseed Born (1774)
September 27
“Silent Spring” Published (1962)
September 28
National Public Lands Day
September 29
Steinhart Aquarium opens (1923)
September 30
Hoover Dam Dedicated (1935)
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