Part Six A: Juneau, Alaska’s Capital City
We awoke to another absolutely beautiful day. And by the way, when I say awoke, I mean at around 4 am. That’s the time for sunrise in these parts at this time of year. It took a bit of getting used to. Especially when you consider that sunset is not until sometime around 10 pm or later. It really throws your internal clock off a wee bit.
While standing on our balcony I immediately noticed a few interesting murals, statues and totem poles that I made a mental note to explore. I also looked up a few fascinating facts about this port of call, such as:
with a total area of 3,255 square miles, the municipality of Juneau is bigger than the state of Rhode Island
there are no roads connecting it to the rest of the state or North America
In 1906 government power was transferred from Sitka to Juneau at which time it became the capital of the state
Juneau is named for Joe Juneau who was one of the first prospectors to discover gold at the mouth of Gold Creek
OK, enough silly facts it is time to go exploring. Off the ship and unto the dock we went.
This statue was one of the first attractions that caught my eye. There are a ten of them along the waterfront where the cruise ships dock. As to what they stand for, let me share with you the explanation given on a plaque next to one of them. And I quote: Aquileans is a series of sculptures for the Juneau Waterfront whose origins are found in the archetypes of the Alaskan landscape. Its main images reside within two ecological characters whose spirits have long guided the people of this land. Aquila the Latin for eagle, and Cetacean for an order of marine animals including the whale, join form to create Aquileans. The name Aquileans is meant to embody the sea and the sky. During the day they reflect and refract the sunlight, and at night they are illuminated with a series of ever changing LED lights that are so like the Aurora borealis in this area. Unfortunately, we did not get to see them illuminated because our ship left before dark.
Meet Patsy Ann the Official greeter of everyone who entered the city via the docks. Fifty years after she greeted her last ship this bronze statue was erected in her honor so that she could once again greet everyone on the docks.
This statue, tucked in an alcove, was easy to miss. It was entitled Hard Rock Miners. It is dedicated to the men who whose work provided the lifeblood of Juneau during its first 60 years. It also highlights the use of compressed air drills which began to be used in the late 1800’s. The use of such drills in place of hand drills enabled miners to handle great quantities of ore at an acceptable low cost. The Juneau mine, opened in 1897 officially closed in 1944. The total output of the mine was over seven million ounces of gold.
This is a mural of Elizabeth Kaaxgal.aat Peratrovich. Know as the Fighter in Velvet Gloves for her powerful but graceful and dignified speaking style. . . she was a champion of civil rights in Alaska. Her efforts resulted in the passage of America’s first comprehensive civil rights legislation since the civil war. The Anti-Discrimination Act was singed into law by Governor Ernest Gruening on February 16, 1945, nearly 20 years before the passage of the U.S Civil Rights Act of 1964.
I discovered this sculpture on the front of the city parking garage/public library. It is entitled: Raven-Eagle Sculpture. The Raven on the left, and the Eagle on the right are the two major social groups of the Tlingit Tribe. A Tlingit is either Raven or Eagle by birth and according to custom must marry the opposite.
Then there were the numerous totem poles. This one immediately caught my eye, perhaps because of its colors. It is entitled: L’eeneidi Kooteeyaa. The L’eeneidt is a clan of the Raven society. The meaning of the totem pole, starting at the top is as follows: the top design features a star, which derives from one of their clan houses known as Little Dipper House. Below that are Dog Salmon and Lucky Lady. Underneath that is a carving of a clan member (in red with black hair). The lower design features Raven with a Box of Daylight. According to custom Raven opened the box of Daylight, and released the Sun, bringing daylight to the world.
So, that was the dock at Juneau. Did we go on any excursions? We sure did and I’ll bring them to you in the next post.
"On The Road of Retirement" 
Bill, this is a great post! Great pictures and very informative. While I saw some of this stuff in Juneau, I did not pay any attention. I was just rushing from one excursion to the other. I enjoyed reading and learning about the statues, the sculptures, and the mural. I would like to see each of those 10 statues. To see them at night would be really great, too! Again, same port, but we had different experiences, and sharing them enhances our memories – and possible future trips back. I look forward to your next post!
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Glad you liked the post. It was amazing what I discovered by just strolling along the dock. I, to, wished I could have seen them illuminated. It must be fantastic. And yes, isn’t it something, both in the same place at the same time and what different things we see. It’s great that we can share and see through each others eye’s.
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I like facts. 😃 Thank you for sharing these; I find them fascinating. And wow, I have been to Juneau on a cruise but I don’t think I even paid attention to the things you mention in this great blog post. I like how they each tell a completely different story but are such a part of that area. Good job on seeing what is “right in front of you” while apparently I just walked on by.
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Glad you liked the post. As my wife would say, I’m always wandering off and finding the odd and different! Facts to me make an area come alive. I love to learn and always consider it a good day when I learn something new. Have a great day.
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