Nathan Jackson, Tlingit Totem Carver
Nathan Jackson, master carver, mentor, and trickster.
Ketchikan, Alaska is tucked within the rainforest at the southern tip of the state.
We met him at Saxman Village Totem Park (which is exactly what it says it is: a park of totem poles) and experienced his delightful joy and humor while going about his work sculpting ancient stories into wood.
Saxman Village
Nathan Jackson is a renowned Tlingit totem carver in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Salmon ripple the waters as they arrive in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Mr. Jackson is the head carver at Saxman—sort of a Chief Carving Officer, leading younger generations of artists in technique and appreciation of the traditional art form. He’s helped to replicate some of the park’s 25 totems, based on originals that were abandoned in various Alaskan villages as their respective Native American residents moved to cities.
The originals totem poles are traditionally left where they fall, to be reclaimed by nature. And some end up in a local museum, forever protected from the elements.
Fallen totem poles are traditionally left to be reclaimed by nature.
Mr. Jackson’s work is featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. He’s also been awarded the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, our country’s highest honor for folk arts. That makes him the B.B. King of totem carvers.
Tools of the trade.
His son, Stephen Jackson, is also an incredible carver, and has evolved the traditional techniques taught by his dad to incorporate modern technologies like 3D printing.
Mr. Jackson shows us his son’s work, evolved from CAD drawings and the CNC machine.
Dorica Jackson, master weaver, and still very much with us.
Mr. Jackson is of the Tlingit Raven clan, known for their mischievous wit. He lives up to the name. Within five minutes of our visit, he tells us in a mournful tone that his wife, Dorica Jackson, is… no longer with us…….. because she’s gone to the museum to work on her Chilkat weavings. (Picture our entire film crew gasping in unison at the implication of that insanely long and awkward pause, then laughing with relief when Mr. Jackson winks. Or maybe it’s a twinkle?)
Mrs. Jackson is not only a master weaver, she also paints Mr. Jackson’s totem carvings. And she still laughs at his jokes, after all these years!
The chilkat weaving Mrs. Jackson was working on when we visited.
The other point that struck us is the strong sense of community surrounding Mr. Jackson.
He could be anywhere working on his art, hosting gallery openings around the world; living some other life. But here he is, at Saxman, working the ancient craft, greeting tourists, retelling the stories, and encouraging younger generations. He does this, he says, because he gave his word to keep the art form preserved and evolving, helping future artists develop their own techniques at bring the ancient stories to life, while celebrating the traditions of their ancestors. By doing so, he’s impacted countless lives.
Totem Bite State Park longhouse
The carver’s signature, in consistent strokes. (This is carved fur.)
A carving at Totem Bite State Park
Photography by Daniel Volland & Ashley Davidson.