Courtesy of Holland America Line
I was having a fangirl moment at Saxman Native Village.
But getting to know the state through descendants of its original inhabitants has, historically, been more difficult.
Courtesy of Travel Alaska
But momentum is building aroundAlaska Native tourism.
The Holland America Line Westerdam in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.Credit:Courtesy of Holland America Line
Alongside her community, Ferguson has worked to enhance the narrative, she explained.
I look at the forest in a different way, Ferguson said.
You might say, Theres a spruce tree.
Chilkat weaving in Klawock, Alaska, an up-and-coming cruise port.Courtesy of Holland America Line
I look at it as the means of creating the basketry that was woven for collecting berries.
Cruise visitors can even learn about Native culture without leaving the ship.
Alaska Native people I spoke with were encouraged by the shift.
From left: The Mosquito Legend pole at Sitka National Historical Park; details of a totem pole in Sitka National Historical Park.Courtesy of Travel Alaska
Its part of our culture, and theres a whole lot to it.
A totem pole is a visual tool for telling a story: our history.
Seven-day Alaska sailings withHolland America Linefrom $649 per person.
A brown bear seen near Icy Strait Point, a Native-owned port.Courtesy of Huna Totem Corporation
