History:
The Tlingit people settled Hoonah two thousand years ago when they were forced to abandon their original village because of advancing glaciers. Translated, it means, "Where the north wind doesn't blow".
The Tlingit - always respectful of their environment -- lived a subsistence life, surviving off the bountiful waters and lush forest. Many also became very accomplished as weavers, carvers and artists -- developing the unique stylized designs you see throughout Tlingit communities today.
Fur traders arrived on Hoonah shores in the 1880's. Schools, churches, and stores were soon to follow.
In 1912, the Hoonah Packing Company built the first cannery in the area. Ownership traded hands several times before the Icy Strait Salmon Company purchased the property in 1932. When a fire destroyed the town on June 14, 1944, many residents made the cannery their home while the city was rebuilt.
In the mid 1990's the Huna Totem Corporation bought the cannery and created what you see today.
Currently 85% of the staff at ISP are local Tlingit from Hoonah.
