Raven Dreams of a Salmon Return- Mural on McKinley Tower, Anchorage

Kaakeeyaa yóo x̱at duwasáakw. Yéil áyá x̱át. Lukaax̱.ádix̱ x̱at sitee. Shangukeidí yádi áyá x̱át. My Tlingit name is Kaakeeyaa. I am a Tlingit and Athabascan artist, designer, and activist. I am a member of the Sockeye clan and a child of the Thunderbird clan. I am inspired and driven by the cultural training and values instilled in me by my family and clan members. Living off the land and participating in cultural events provide me a wealth of knowledge that feeds my creativity.

How it Began...

Three years ago McKinley Tower building owner Jack Pomerantz reached out to me to create a mural for his building. Jack, the founder of McKinley Care LLC, said that he had turned the building into assisting housing, and that several of his residents are Alaskan Native individuals who originate from all over rural Alaska. Jack had expressed his vision to help his residents feel at home and to uplift the community with my art. For three years we worked together to plan and design a mural!

The meaning behind 'Raven Dreams of a Salmon Return'

In many Tlingit Raven stories, Raven is a creator, a trickster, endlessly hungry, and driven by bold ambition—often guided by good intentions. Long ago, Raven was said to be white, before being scorched black by ashes after stealing fresh water to share with the beings of the Earth. The image of White Raven serves as a bridge to the past, a reminder of origins and transformation.

This dreamlike Alaskan landscape feels suspended between night and day—the sun lingers in a surreal sky, as if time itself has softened. In the scene, two salmon leap upstream, returning home to spawn. Yet across Alaska, many communities are struggling as salmon runs decline, threatening both vital nourishment and cultural traditions that have endured for generations. With each passing year, fewer salmon return.

Raven’s dream of their return invites reflection. It asks us to examine our choices and their impact on the natural world. The salmon, in their persistence and cycle of life, offer a lesson: how to care for the land, and how to sustain it for those who will come after us.

Help Bring This Mural to Life

In Summer 2026, Raven Dreams of a Salmon Return will be installed as a large outdoor mural on the historic McKinley Tower in downtown Anchorage. The wall measures approximately 22 feet 9 inches high by 36 feet wide and is made of concrete over a steel plate. This space will become a site for storytelling, connection, and reflection for both locals and visitors.

This project is supported by the Anchorage Community Development Authority through the Municipality of Anchorage’s 2025 Mayor’s “Beyond the Beige” Arts Award, from which I have been awarded a $25,000 grant. This fundraising effort is to support the remaining costs required to complete the project.

Click here to read- Mayor LaFrance and Anchorage Community Development Authority Announce First Beyond the Beige Awards

I am happy to contribute my time and work to see this mural come to fruition, and I am reaching out to the Alaska community for support in covering the material and production costs needed to complete it.

Murals are a powerful way to educate the public about local Indigenous values, culture, and history. They create an opportunity for people to encounter these stories in everyday life, outside of galleries or institutions, and to feel a deeper connection to the place they are in.

Where Your Support Goes

There are many supplies and tools necessary to complete a mural of this scale. Funds raised will help cover:

Printing the artwork onto mural cloth

Paint and hand detailing materials

Paint brushes and rollers

Buckets, drop cloths, squeegees, and rulers

Cost of printing the art onto the mural fabric

Shipping and delivery of the mural to Alaska

Photographer and videographer to document the process

Artist Labor

Apprentices for Hire

Assistant Project Installation Crew

The mural will be digitally printed on polytab fabric, a durable material similar to a parachute, and then hand painted over to add texture and detail. I will be working alongside three apprentices who are helping install the mural, making this a shared process of learning and creation.

Why It Matters

This project brings together community support, cultural storytelling, and public art in a meaningful way. Every contribution helps cover the physical materials and logistics needed to complete the mural and allows this work to exist in a public space for years to come.

Thank you for supporting this project and helping bring Raven Dreams of a Salmon Return to life in Anchorage.