Huna Totem Corporation Logo

In 1972, renowned Hoonah Tlingit artist and carver, David Williams Sr., was contracted to design and create an art screen to demonstrate the unity of the Hoonah People in a time of need. The RurAL CAP‘S Parent-Child Center in Hoonah, originated the idea of creating a descriptive and traditional panel that represented the city and people of Hoonah.

The panel is crafted in a traditional Tlingit design. The eagle and raven are the two moieties of the Tlingit people and are located at the top left and right respectively. Moiety is defined as one half of the whole. Below the moieties, are the four original clans that founded the community of Hoonah.

Under the Raven, on the right, the T’akdeintaan Clan is represented by the crest designed of the Humpback whale, including its blow hole and backbone, and the black-legged kittiwake. Under the eagle, on the left, the Wooshkeetaan clan is represented by the shark crest.

The Kaagwaantaan clan is represented by the Wolf crest at the bottom center and the Chookaneidi Clan is represented by the bear crest at the top center. The bear also represented the rock cliff Gaawt’ak.aan, between Hoonah and Inner Point Sophia. The ears of the bear represent Mt. Fairweather near Hoonah.

The man figure located in the center, is the hero J’eet. In oral history, J’eet was captured by warriors who, for sport, challenged him to climb the face of the cliff. His exceptional climbing skills enabled him to escape to the top where he built fires that represented by the four fires between the ears, according to a prearranged signal to warn his clan and other clans of the arrival of the warriors.

Hoonah City Mayor and Huna Totem Corporation Board Chairman, Frank See Sr. appointed Harry Marvin, William Johnson, and Howard Gray Sr. to oversee and assist with the development of the artwork and the construction. Artist David Williams painted and pieced together the design on four, four-by-eight foot, panels. The preliminary painting process was assisted by Fred Houston, Harold Dick, and carver Jim Marks.

Sadly, artist David Williams Sr. passed away in March of 1973, before he could complete the final refinements. His son, Arnold Williams, daughter-in-law, Mary Williams and daughter, Carol Williams, completed the project. The original panel was dedicated in 1973.

Huna Totem Corporation’s Shareholders are comprised of the Xuna Kaawu, who are represented in this art piece. The panel’s screen design was adopted and first used on the cover of the Corporation’s 1975 Annual Report. Since that time, it has been extensively used and displayed by Huna Totem Corporation as their official logo.