Bear Clan Totem Repatriation

Hauled on the back of a trailer some foggy December in 1914, the Bear Clan Totem traveled from Angoon, Alaska to Greeley, Colorado where it would remain as a UNC mascot for nearly 100 years. Andrew Thompson, then superintendent of schools in the southeastern district of Alaska, had the totem shipped to his alma mater as a gift. It is unknown how he came to acquire the totem. Under the possession of UNC, the totem pole known as “Totem Teddy” endured 88 years of displacement—records show the Bear Clan Totem suffered bouts of theft from neighboring institutions along with frequent vandalism. Towards the end of its tenure at UNC, it lived in obscurity within the University Center.

In March of 2003, a delegation from the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska visited the UNC campus to verify the identity of their stolen totem. The group of representatives confirmed with tribal and photographic evidence that Totem Teddy was indeed the Bear Clan Totem. The Tlingit Nation filed a cultural resources claim under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, enacted by Congress in 1990.

In October of 2003, the Tlingit representatives returned to UNC to begin the totem’s 5000-mile journey back home. This digital exhibit focuses on the repatriation of this important cultural and spiritual artifact.

The Bear Clan Totem retells the story of Kaats, a Tlingit man who was captured by a bear while hunting and thrown into a den. The bear's wife hides him to save his life. They eventually marry and have two bear cubs which became the ancestors of the Bear House of the Teikweidi Clan in Angoon.

Click here for more information on the Totem's time at UNC.