Icy Strait Point

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Monday July 8

Today we dropped anchor in Icy Strait Point and took a ride on the tender boat across to Hoonah at Icy Strait Point. This is the site of an old restored building that was once a Salmon Cannery and has been converted as a tourism centre for cruise ship passengers. It is an ancient tribal site and the local tribe the Tlinglit  (pronounced klinglit) run the tourism ventures. This will eventually bring a raised standard of living to the 750 people living in the town. We visited the actual settlement by shuttle bus in the afternoon and it was quaint and unchanged by time but also overwhelmingly poor.

 This is pretty much what the whole town looks like.

Here I am with Mary on the beach with the tram in the background.

The tour we had booked was a ride on a forest tram and a tribal dance show. The driver was pure Tlinglit and had lots of great stories to tell including encounters with bears.  There are roughly 3500 bears on the Island so they do encounter them often.  There was one that came into the town and they tried tranquilizer bullets, then rubber bullets, and in the end they shot him.  He was hanging up on the back wall of the theatre at the tribal dance show.  shooting is a last resort, but they can't have the bears endangering people's lives.

The tram ride was through an old growth rain forest along the shore line where Chichagof Island meets Icy Strait.  At the beach we were able to get out and walk along the beach and view yet another bald eagle nest.  It is nesting time for the Eagles and the young are being feed by both parents. 

When we got back from the ride we went to the tribal dance show.   As the Tlingit people had no written language all their stories and songs and dance routines have been handed down through the generations.  This is still the same today and because of this you are not allowed to photograph or video in the show, but they do allow photos afterwards and in the interactive part when they invite the audience to join in. 

 This is the  back of the main performer's blanket. It was richly embroided and had mother pf pearl buttons sewn on it. 

The front of the costume.

The story of Raven had elements of Maui in that he could change his shape and form and also gave the people the moon , the stars and the sun. 

The 2 symbols of the tlingit tribe are ravens and eagles. It is a matriarchal society so you take your mother's symbol.  You have to marry the opposite symbol.

The old Russian Orthodox Church now  no longer a church and very run down.

This house was for sale. A bit too much work I think.

 The general store for the town, built on the wharf.  You could get most useful things here.  Hardly Mitre 10 mega;  refreshing absence of useless imported Chinese junk.

A one petrol pump town. Well there is no where to go except on the island, and with only 750 people who needs more?

One of the buildings that used to be part of the cannery.

Another view of the cannery buildings now all used as shops, museum and tourist  ventures.