Wrangell Sentinel -

The final touches on the Chief Shakes Tribal House are currently underway in preparation for the May 3-4 rededication ceremony on the island – and last week saw a colossal parade of students from Wrangell High School and the Native community down Front Street to restore a pair of cedar house posts to their rightful place in the Tribal House.

The posts, which were carved by Steve Brown and Wayne Price, traveled from the James and Elsie Nolan Center in a flatbed trailer and were accompanied by more than 350 teens and residents of the Borough.

Greg Knight

Nearly 350 Wrangell students and residents followed the posts down Front Street on Wednesday, March 27.

The posts sit to the left and right of the rear of the house and frame the “hít s’aatí” or apartment for the head of the household.

Wrangell Cooperative Association project manager Todd White drove the truck that moved the posts to their new home. He added that the weather was part of what made the day so special and memorable.

“When we planned for this day we had no idea how the weather would be, if it would cooperate or not,” White said. “So, when the weather turned out as nice as it was, it made the parade we had amazing. The blessing of good weather made our parade kick ass.”

The moving of the posts symbolizes one of the final steps in readying the house for the rededication ceremony. Work is on-going on the house’s screen, with painting and carving continuing this week.