During the summer and fall of 1981, Prince William Sound College in Valdez hosted Hungarian-born sculptor Peter Toth, who at the time had undertaken a vow to carve a sculpture in each of the fifty states. The monument he carved in Valdez was his fortieth tribute honoring the United States' Native American heritage. In the early 1980s, Toth appeared on several major television networks discussing his work. He refused to take any payment for any of the monuments. Toth viewed them as a gift to the American people. Wood for some of his smaller carvings in Valdez came from Cordova, while the larger piece for the Whispering Giant carving came from the Sitka area.
The sculpture is on permanent display by the Prince William Sound College student housing on Pioneer Drive in Valdez.
