The unveiling of a new, original totem pole at the high school campus is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17.

The totem raising will be held before the start of the junior varsity basketball games, Heather Armstrong, the school district’s activities director, announced. Petersburg teams will be in town for homecoming games Friday and Saturday.

The totem project faced several scheduling setbacks. Illness and bad weather delayed the carving process for weeks, and forced the postponement of the unveiling from early December.

“It’s been hectic,” carver and designer Mike Hoyt said. “The weather has made it very tough to be at the carving shed regularly.”

The team considered a rush job to finish by the first high school home basketball game of the season on Jan. 9. However, they decided that the quality of the work was more important than the deadline. Hoyt wants the piece to be perfect for the community.

“We want it to look as good as we possibly can,” he said. “It will stand for many years. I don’t want to walk by it several times for the rest of my life thinking about how I should have done something different.”

The school district commissioned the piece last year. It will stand in the outdoor courtyard between the middle school and high school. This area serves as the campus commons.

The pole will stand about seven feet tall. This makes it about half the size of the famous poles in Totem Park. The design combines school spirit with local cultural traditions.

“The idea was to blend old elements with something new,” Hoyt said.

He explained that creating an original design has its own challenges. He had to figure out every detail from scratch. On the other hand, he enjoyed having total control over the artistic vision.

The figures on the pole hold deep meaning. A wolf represents both the Wrangell Wolves and older clan histories. An eagle rests above the wolf. A human figure stands at the base of the pole.

Carving runs deep in Hoyt’s family tree. His great-grandfather, Tom Ukas, was a well-known carver. Many consider Ukas to be the last great carver from Wrangell.

Hoyt looked at carvings from many past generations of his family for ideas. He used those traditional styles to help shape his new work.

“It’s been really exciting, working on an original piece and taking inspiration from previous generations,” he said.

He hopes this is just the beginning of his work in the community. He wants to continue this tradition for a long time.

“I hope to make more original poles in the future,” Hoyt said.