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

February 1
Afobaka Dam and Operation Gwamba (1964)
February 2
Groundhog Day
February 3
Spencer Fullerton Baird, First U.S. Fish Commissioner, Born (1823)
February 3
George Adamson, African Lion Rehabilitator, Born (1906)
February 4
Congress Overrides President Reagan’s Veto of Clean Water Act (1987)
February 5
National Wildlife Federation Created (1936)
February 6
Colin Murdoch, Inventor of the Tranquilizer Gun, Born (1929)
February 7
Karl August Mobius, Ecology Pioneer, Born (1825)
February 8
President Johnson Addresses Congress about Conservation (1965)
February 8
Lisa Perez Jackson, Environmental Leader, Born (1982)
February 9
U.S. Fish Commission Created (1871)
February 10
Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, born (1944)
February 11
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 12
Judge Boldt Affirms Native American Fishing Rights (1974)
February 13
Thomas Malthus Born (1766)
February 14
Nature’s Faithful Lovers
February 15
Complete Human Genome Published (2001)
February 16
Kyoto Protocol, Controlling Greenhouse-Gas Emissions, Begins (2005)
February 16
Alvaro Ugalde, Father of Costa Rica’s National Parks, Born (1946)
February 17
Sombath Somphone, Laotian Environmentalist, Born (1952)
February 17
R. A. Fischer, Statistician, Born (1890)
February 18
World Pangolin Day
February 18
Julia Butterfly Hill, Tree-Sitter, Born (1974)
February 19
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial Established (1962)
February 20
Ansel Adams, Nature Photographer, Born (1902)
February 21
Carolina Parakeet Goes Extinct (1918)
February 22
Nile Day
February 23
Italy’s Largest Inland Oil Spill (2010)
February 24
Joseph Banks, British Botanist, Born (1743)
February 25
First Federal Timber Act Passed (1799)
February 26
Four National Parks Established (1917-1929)
February 27
International Polar Bear Day
February 28
Watson and Crick Discover The Double Helix (1953)
February 29
Nature’s Famous Leapers
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