Caretakers of Ketchikan: Clan House Tours

There is a story told by Bear Clan of the Tlingit nation that says 300 years ago when people of the tribe climbed Deer Mountain and looked down at the creek, they saw an eagle with outstretched wings sitting on a rock at the head of the waters. They named the area Keech Ka Xa haan, meaning “thundering wings of an eagle.” Today, the area is now called Ketchikan. When visitors approach downtown Ketchikan through their 274 foot tunnel, they encounter a massive carved totem eagle by Tlingit master carver and Ketchikan native Nathan Jackson.

With enormous outstretched wings, the eagle stands nobly and proudly as a sentry into this port city, reminding all that Ketchikan is an area steeped in the culture and history of indigenous people.

Clan House Tours is a Haida and Tlingit family-owned & operated tour company in Ketchikan. Their tours stand out because their guides, who are Alaska natives, actively engage in cultural traditions such as fishing and harvesting edible and medicinal plants. Their upbringing in the traditional lifestyle of Southeast Alaska provides visitors with a unique perspective on the land and way of life that dates back hundreds of years.

Each tour group with Clan House Tours is small and intimate, creating a friendship between the guides and their guests. Their passionate and knowledgeable guides share stories and meanings behind each totem pole, recount legends passed down from generations, as well as show visitors the variety of edible and medicinal plants in the Tongass Rainforest. By acknowledging the land and the indigenous people it belongs to, they are able to communicate the importance of protecting the environment in a way that will leave visitors with a renewed appreciation for mother nature and for the caretakers of the extraordinary ecosystem of Ketchikan.

To book a tour please visit: clanhousetours.com

To order medicinal medicine made from plants from the Tongass Rainforest, please visit hazyislandbotanicals.com