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.
Members of the Tlingit Nation see for the first time the Bear Clan Totem at the University of Northern Colorado, October 20, 2003
Tlingit Tribe members stand before the Bear Clan Totem on October 20, 2003
Members of the Tlingit Nation of Angoon, Alaska, celebrate the return of the Bear Clan Totem at the University of Northern Colorado on October 20, 2003
University of Northern Colorado facilities workers carefully lower a Tlingit Bear Clan Totem from its mount in the University Center, October 20, 2003
University of Northern Colorado facilities workers carefully lower a Tlingit Bear Clan Totem from its mount in the University Center, October 20, 2003 3
University of Northern Colorado facilities workers carefully lower a Tlingit Bear Clan Totem from its mount in the University Center, October 20, 2003
University of Northern Colorado facilities workers carefully lower a Tlingit Bear Clan Totem from its mount in the University Center, October 20, 2003 2
University of Northern Colorado President Kay Norton addresses the university community during a ceremony to repatriate "Totem Teddy" to the Tlingit Nation, October 20, 2003
Thomas Davis, left, and Lydia George of the Tlingit Nation celebrate the return of the Bear Clan Totem, October 20, 2003
Members of the Tlingit Nation celebrate the return of the Bear Clan Totem on the University of Northern Colorado campus, October 20, 2003
Two members of the Tlingit Nation celebrate the return of the Bear Clan Totem with a traditional dance, October 20, 2003
Members of the Tlingit Nation celebrate the return of the Bear Clan Totem on the University of Northern Colorado campus, October 20, 2003 3