Roadtrippin’: Ancient totem poles preserved in Ketchikan help teach future generations

At the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, over a dozen ancient totem poles are carefully preserved.

Theresa DeWitt, a guide at the museum, explains that was a controversial decision when it was made in the 1970s. Traditionally, totem poles carved out of red cedar were painted once and never repainted. They were allowed to naturally decay and return to the forest.