Healing Totem Pole - Huna Tlingit History

Several people with backs to the camera look at the healing totem pole while one points at it.

What you see first is 20 feet of carved yellow cedar rising in Bartlett Cove, capped by two human figures - one in a woven cedar hat, one in the iconic ranger hat - together holding Xunaa Shuka Hit, the Huna Ancestors' House. Yaa Naa Nex Kooteeyaa, the Healing Totem Pole, compresses centuries of history into a single column: the Huna Tlingit's tragic migration from their Glacier Bay Homeland, the painful period of alienation, and the more recent collaborative work between the tribe and the National Park Service. Dedicated in 2018, it stands as a visual record of a relationship still being repaired, and a focal point for conversations about true partnership.

Access & viewing

GPS Coordinates: 58.454631116845945, -135.88495151355363
Accessibility: The pole stands in the Bartlett Cove developed area with benches and seating and interpretive exhibits; surface details are not documented.

Conditions & safety

Permits Required: 0

Planning advice

Nearby Attractions: Bartlett Cove, Bartlett Cove Beach Rocks, the Bartlett Cove Public Use Dock, the Nurse Log in Bartlett Cove, and the Beardslee Islands are all in the same area.
Nearby Facilities: Benches and seating and historical/interpretive exhibits are at the site; the Glacier Bay Visitor Center and Bartlett Cove Campground are nearby in Bartlett Cove.
Best Time To Visit: The main visitor season at Glacier Bay runs from late-May through early-September, with the peak in July; outside that window services in the park may be extremely limited.
Tips Advice: Read the pole bottom to top - it compresses centuries of Huna Tlingit history into 20 feet of yellow cedar.
Look closely at the two figures at the top: one wears a woven cedar hat, the other the iconic ranger hat, together holding Xunaa Shuka Hit, the Huna Ancestors' House.
Use the benches and interpretive exhibits at the site to take in the full story before photographing.
Pair your visit with the nearby Bartlett Cove shoreline and the Glacier Bay Visitor Center.
Insider Tips: The pole's two capping figures jointly hold Xunaa Shuka Hit, the Huna Ancestors' House - a deliberate symbol of shared stewardship.
Dedicated in 2018, it is one of the newer additions to Bartlett Cove; pair it with the Huna Tribal House experience nearby.
Come during the late-May to early-September season when the visitor center is operating so you can add context to the carvings.

More details

Park Area: Bartlett Cove
Family Friendly Notes: A safe, walk-up cultural site with benches and interpretive exhibits - well suited to kids, and a strong starting point for talking about Huna Tlingit history.
Recent Updates: The Healing Totem Pole was dedicated in 2018.
Attraction Type: Cultural Monument
Elevation Feet: 0
Distance From Entrance: Glacier Bay has no entrance gates; the pole stands in Bartlett Cove, the park's main developed area.
Accessibility Level: Walk-up view in the Bartlett Cove developed area
How To Get There: The Healing Totem Pole is located in Bartlett Cove, Alaska, within Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Nearby waypoints include the Bartlett Cove Public Use Dock and the Glacier Bay Visitor Center.
Seasonal Access: The site is open to the public. Glacier Bay is technically open 24 hours a day with no entrance gates, but services may be extremely limited outside the late-May to early-September visitor season.
Entry Fees: None - Glacier Bay National Park has no entrance gates and charges no entrance fee.
Main Features: A 20-foot yellow cedar totem pole depicting the Huna Tlingit's migration from the Glacier Bay Homeland, the period of alienation, and recent collaboration with the National Park Service, topped by two human figures holding Xunaa Shuka Hit, the Huna Ancestors' House.
What Youll See: Carved yellow cedar figures compressing centuries of Huna Tlingit history, crowned by two human figures - one in a woven cedar hat, one in a ranger hat - jointly holding the Huna Ancestors' House. Benches and interpretive exhibits sit alongside the pole.
Unique Characteristics: Yaa Naa Nex Kooteeyaa was designed to convey the difficult relationship between the National Park Service and the Huna Tlingit and to honor the work of healing - a rare monument to a park-tribe partnership, capped by paired cedar-hat and ranger-hat figures.
Safety Considerations: No recorded hazards at the pole itself - it stands in the Bartlett Cove developed area. Parkwide, keep 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife.
Best Viewpoints: Stand back far enough to take in the full 20-foot column, then move close to read the individual carved figures; the site is designated a scenic view and photo spot with benches and seating.
Photo Opportunities: The full-height view of the 20-foot pole and detail shots of the two capping figures - the woven cedar hat and the ranger hat holding Xunaa Shuka Hit - are the signature compositions at this designated photo spot.
Photography Spots: The site is a designated scenic view and photo spot; frame the full 20-foot cedar column or zoom to the paired figures holding Xunaa Shuka Hit at the top.
Visitor Center Present: 0
Restrooms Available: 0
Picnic Areas: 0
Interpretive Signs: 1
Water Available: 0
Guided Tours Available: 0
Nearby Services: The Glacier Bay Visitor Center and Bartlett Cove Campground are in the Bartlett Cove area; Gustavus, Alaska is the gateway community with dock and ferry terminal.
Geological Formation Type: Not a geological formation - carved yellow cedar cultural monument
Scientific Interest: The pole is a primary document of ethnohistory: it visually records the Huna Tlingit's migration from the Glacier Bay Homeland, the alienation era, and the modern co-stewardship relationship with the National Park Service.
Winter Access: The park is technically open 24 hours a day year-round, but services may be extremely limited outside the main late-May to early-September season.
Best Visit Times: The park's peak month is July; visiting in the shoulder weeks of the late-May to early-September season means fewer people at Bartlett Cove.
Best Season: Late-May through early-September, when Glacier Bay's visitor services are operating; July is the peak.
Busiest Season: July is the peak of Glacier Bay's late-May through early-September visitor season.
Fishing Nearby: 0
Swimming Allowed: 0
Boating Allowed: 0
Climbing Areas: 0
Review Summary: Visitors who stop at the pole with the interpretive exhibits alongside it tend to grasp its purpose: a carved record of the Huna Tlingit's separation from their Glacier Bay Homeland and the ongoing work of healing with the National Park Service. The paired cedar-hat and ranger-hat figures at the top make the partnership message legible even to first-time viewers.

Location

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth stopping for if I'm mainly here for glaciers?

Yes - it takes little time and adds the human story the ice alone can't tell. The pole compresses centuries of Huna Tlingit history, from migration out of the Glacier Bay Homeland to modern partnership with the NPS, into 20 feet of yellow cedar.

Do I need a permit or ticket to see the totem pole?

No. The site is open to the public, and Glacier Bay National Park has no entrance gates and no entrance fee.

Can I photograph the pole?

Yes - the site is designated as a scenic view and photo spot. The classic shots are the full 20-foot column and a detail of the two figures at the top holding Xunaa Shuka Hit.

Is this an old, historic totem pole?

No - it was dedicated in 2018. Its subject is historic, though: it depicts the Huna Tlingit's tragic migration from the Glacier Bay Homeland, the period of alienation, and the recent collaborative efforts between the tribe and the National Park Service.

Will my kids get anything out of it?

Yes. It's a safe walk-up site with benches and interpretive exhibits, and the imagery - two figures in a cedar hat and a ranger hat holding the Huna Ancestors' House - gives families a concrete way to talk about the park's Indigenous history.

Can I visit outside the summer season?

Technically yes - the park is open 24 hours a day with no entrance gates - but services may be extremely limited outside the main late-May through early-September season, so summer visits are far more practical.