Angoon Walking Tour

Angoon stands as a strong and culturally connected Tlingit village in Southeast Alaska, where traditional subsistence ways of life continue alongside a deep commitment to preserving ancestral knowledge. On this 45-minute audio tour, you'll hear directly from community Elders and residents who share intimate stories about their clan heritage, the foods that sustain them from land and sea, and how they've protected and stewarded their island home since time immemorial.

Starting at the Artist's Workshop, you'll learn about the six carved totem poles that represent each clan involved in the historic 1882 Angoon Bombardment, when the U.S. Navy fired upon and destroyed the village. The route follows Front Street along the waterfront, where you'll understand how the ocean provides everything from king salmon to sea urchins, and how dangerous undercurrents and legendary giant octopuses shape local maritime knowledge.

The tour concludes back at the Artist's Workshop after winding through the community's hills and forest edges, where you'll appreciate how Angoon's position within Admiralty Island National Monument protects the wildlife and resources that make traditional life possible. Throughout the journey, you'll hear about the challenges of maintaining Tlingit language after it was forbidden in schools, the seasonal rhythms of berry picking and food preservation, and why this community chose cultural survival over economic opportunities like logging.

Highlights:

• Learn about the six clan totem poles carved in 1982 to commemorate the centennial of the 1882 Angoon Bombardment on Angoon by the US Navy
• Discover how Front Street was once the heart of a community connected by boardwalks instead of roads
• Understand the ocean's role in providing subsistence foods while respecting its dangerous currents and depths
• See the hillside churches that coexist with traditional Tlingit cultural practices
• Hear Elder stories about preserving traditional foods like smoked salmon, berries, and shellfish
• Learn how Angoon worked to protected Angoon's old growth forests
• Experience the Angoon Trading Post and understand the challenges of remote community shopping
• Walk through landscapes where traditional knowledge of wildlife, plants, and seasonal cycles continues

Experience Angoon through the voices of those who call it home, gaining insight into a living culture that honors both ancient traditions and contemporary community life.