Alaska totem pole etiquette every cruise traveler needs to know

I'll admit that when my family cruised to Alaska with Holland America Line in May 2026, totem pole etiquette wasn't something I thought to research as I planned our port activities. Sure, I wanted to learn about and engage with Alaska Native cultures, take tours led by locals, and buy Made in Alaska souvenirs, but I didn't consider that posing for a photo with an impressive totem pole I admired along the waterfront in Juneau might be disrespectful.

The more totem poles we saw during our Alaska cruise, the more intrigued we were by them and their significance in Alaska Native culture — so much so that during our port day in Ketchikan, we made an unplanned visit to the Totem Heritage Center to explore their cultural importance.

Totem poles are carved from red or yellow cedar by the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and Southeast Alaska. At the Totem Heritage Center, we learned that the stacked figures depicting animals, mythological beings, or natural features — called crests — are meaning-filled symbols of a clan's stories and history.

My kids were so fascinated by the crests that they later chose small Alaska Native animal carvings to take home as souvenirs.

That experience, moving from casual admiration to understanding, is exactly what Alaska Native leaders are asking every visitor to pursue after a viral TikTok trend shined a trivializing spotlight on totem poles.

A TikTok trend has Alaska Native leaders demanding respect  

A summer 2026 TikTok trend involving travelers dancing around totem poles in Juneau and other Southeast Alaska cruise ports led Alaska Native leaders to publicly demand that visitors show respect for the sacred monuments, as first reported by the Juneau Empire . The trend has visitors mimicking a scene from the 2009 film "The Proposal" with Alaska's totem poles, treating objects of profound cultural significance as social media props.

Multiple Alaska Native organizations issued a joint statement on June 19 condemning the behavior, including the Ketchikan Indian Community, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The statement explained that totem poles are not displayed for public amusement, but for cultural expression.

"Totem poles are not tourist props, social media backdrops, or objects to be mocked for entertainment," said Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska President Richard J. Peterson. "They carry our histories, clan stories, ancestors, and cultural teachings.

"While some may intend this trend to be fun or good-natured, the unintended consequence is that it diminishes and trivializes living Indigenous cultures," Peterson added.

Leaders noted that dancing around the totem poles isn't the only problem — separate incidents of visitors sitting and climbing on them have also been flagged.

"When visitors mock these cultural treasures, they are not simply making a joke," said Ketchikan Indian Community CEO and Tribal Administrator Emily Edenshaw. "They are showing disregard for the communities, ancestors, and living traditions those poles represent."

Cruisers are at the center of the conversation around totem pole disrespect

The message is directed, in large part, at cruisers because cruise passengers are Southeast Alaska's most common summer visitors by a wide margin.

In 2025, 66% of Alaska's 2.7-million out-of-state summer visitors arrived by cruise ship, according to the most recent data from the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA). Between May and September, cruise passengers are the dominant presence walking past totem poles in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, and other ports.

Related: A wildlife lover's guide to seeing whales on an Alaska cruise

Southeast Alaska, home to the state's most-visited ports, sits on the ancestral homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, and Alaska has the highest percentage of Indigenous residents of any U.S. state, at about 20% of the population, according to 2020 Census data .

Taking time to learn about local culture can enrich your travel experience — like it did for my family in Ketchikan. It also helps to reduce the cultural friction that mass cruise tourism creates for Alaska Native communities.

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ATIA calls for responsible travel in Alaska

The totem pole situation is part of a larger responsible travel conversation that ATIA is elevating. In August 2026, the organization issued updated responsible travel guidance developed in collaboration with Alaska Native tourism leaders, outlining how visitors can engage with Alaska more thoughtfully across the board.

Seek out sustainable and locally owned businesses

ATIA's Adventure Green Alaska business directory includes more than 80 certified sustainable tourism businesses from lodges to whale-watching tour operators . Many of Alaska's tour operators and lodges are locally owned, including businesses run by Alaska Native corporations, multigenerational families, and young entrepreneurs.

Look for Made in Alaska and Silver Hand logos when souvenir shopping

These logos identify products that are authentically locally made, and in the case of Silver Hand, created by Alaska Native artists. Both programs help ensure your tourism dollars support the people and communities you're visiting.

Use ATIA's cultural resources before you arrive in port

ATIA developed an Alaska Native culture guide and educational content for travelers, including etiquette for interacting with Alaska Native peoples and artwork like totem poles. Reading it before your cruise departs doesn't take long, and traveling to Alaska with mindfulness can make a real difference once you're ashore.

Totem pole etiquette to know for an Alaska cruise

Whether you're heading to Ketchikan — home to the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, Sitka's Totem National Historical Park, or walking the waterfront in Juneau, follow these totem pole etiquette guidelines:

• Do not use totem poles as props for social media content, viral trends, or entertainment.

• Taking photos with totem poles is generally fine, but don't stage poses against them or use them as a prop for trending content.

• Do not climb on or touch totem poles. Keep a respectful distance.

"Totem poles are revered pieces of several Alaska Native cultures and travelers should be deeply respectful when visiting these sites," ATIA President and CEO Jillian Simpson said in the organization's updated responsible travel guidance .

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Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel , or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.

This story was originally published by TravelHost on Aug 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.