WCA will give blessing at Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony

A large contingent from Wrangell will be in the crowd as the switch is flipped to light up The Capitol Christmas Tree on Tuesday, Dec. 3, including tribal members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association who will bless the 80-foot-tall spruce.

The lighting ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Alaska time and will be available for online viewing, including on the YouTube channel of the Speaker of the U.S. House at https://bit.ly/3V5EDQg.

The tree, with a trunk almost 22 inches wide, arrived in the nation’s capital on Friday, Nov. 22, after a long journey from Zarembo Island, where it was harvested last month. It traveled from Wrangell by barge to Seattle, then by truck for about 4,000 highway miles to Washington, D.C.

A couple of Lynden Transport Alaska drivers steered the tree from Puget Sound to the East Coast: John Schank, 72, and Fred Austin, 89.

Upon its arrival, a team from the Architect of the Capitol, which is responsible for the building and grounds, started work to secure the Tongass National Forest tree in its place of honor on the Capitol’s West Lawn and hang decorations. Alaskans made about 14,000 ornaments — including hundreds from Wrangell — to hang on the honored tree and several others that will be stationed around the capital city.

The lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree goes back to 1964. This year is the second time the tree has come from Alaska; the Chugach National Forest in Southcentral Alaska gave up one of its trees for the honor in 2015.

It’s no one-night stand for the Zarembo Island tree. It will remain lit from dusk to 11 p.m. each evening through Jan. 1.

Alaska’s U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office confirmed on Nov. 21 that the WCA would give the blessing at the tree lighting, said Esther Aaltséen Reese, tribal administrator.

Joining Reese for the event in Washington will be tribal council member Sandy Churchill, clan leader and tribal council member Lu Knapp and clan leader Mike Aak’wtaatseen Hoyt, a historian and Teehítaan clan leader who designed the formline art for the tree’s emblem with the Tlingit words kayéil’, sagú and ka toowúk’éi. The English translation is “peace, happiness and joy.”

Also in the crowd will be students from Wrangell High School’s T3 program (Teaching Through Technology), who worked on the watering system that kept the tree hydrated for its long journey to the East Coast.

It will be a mother-daughter event for Reese; her daughter is among the T3 students.

Murkowski worked with Alaska Airlines to cover the students’ travel expenses. The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Forest Service are helping to cover hotels and other expenses.

Also planning to attend are Wrangell florist Artha DeRuyter and her husband John. Artha was among 300 volunteers selected from around the country to help decorate the White House for the holidays. Though she is expected to finish her decorating work over the weekend, she plans to stay in town for the tree lighting.

 

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