PHASE TWO
The Vision: The Arch of Remembrance
The fully completed Arch of Remembrance will stand as the capstone: a solemn yet hopeful entrance that honors the past while declaring that the future belongs to the living descendants who still carry the strength, wisdom, and resilience of their ancestors.
Imagine entering the cemetery beneath a grand, hand-carved cedar archway, rough-sawn for authenticity and timelessness, faced by two towering 14-foot totem poles made out of Western Red Cedar. At the center, a 14-foot-wide by 36-inch-tall carved Yellow Cedar panel tells a single, powerful story.
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The Totem Poles (14 feet tall each): Master Carver Mike Webber of Cordova, Alaska, will design and carve traditional Native figures that embody the strength, wisdom, protection, and enduring spirit of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples. These will not be generic symbols; they will be deeply researched and culturally specific, chosen in consultation with tribal leaders to reflect the very best traits of the children’s own heritage.
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The Main Panel: A carved dugout canoe filled with children- faces alight with hope and joy. The symbolism is profound: though they sailed through dark waters of loss and separation, their legacy sails forward. The future is bright. Their lives are remembered and celebrated.
The images below are of some of Master Carver Mike Webber's expertise. On the left, this totem has been roughed out and on the right you can see the finished carving that brings life to his profound artwork.
Your Opportunity to Be a Part of History
This project is modest in scale yet monumental in meaning. A single, generous commitment from visionary leaders like you can complete it. Your investment will:
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Honor the memory of children whose names were nearly lost to time.
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Give tribal families a place of solace and pride for generations.
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Create a permanent cultural landmark that tells Alaska’s full story—one of both sorrow and unbreakable hope.
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Allow you to attach your name (or your company’s) to a legacy of healing that will outlast any balance sheet.
Business leaders who have built empires understand that the greatest returns are often measured in lives touched, communities strengthened, and stories redeemed. This is that opportunity.
Project Budget & Funding Request
We respectfully request $125,000.00 to fully fund the carving commission with Master Carver Mike Webber. This funding amount covers:
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Design, material (old-growth red cedar), and carving of two 14′ totem poles
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Design and carving of the 14′ × 36″ yellow cedar main panel
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Shipping, Transportation and initial weather-sealing
North of Hope will provide all construction labor, site preparation, installation, and initial maintenance at no additional cost to the project. We have already secured the necessary permissions and community endorsements.
If this final phase stirs something in you, if you see the potential for your heart to write a brighter chapter in Alaska’s story, please let us know.
The children of Jesse Lee (and their descendants) have waited long enough. With your partnership, the Arch of Remembrance can rise over this coming season, transforming a place of quiet grief into a beacon of dignity and hope.
Thank you for considering this invitation to be part of history. Your generosity will echo through the land, through the stories told around longhouse fires, and through the hearts of every Alaska Native child who will one day stand beneath this arch and know they matter.