AMERICAN HISTORY

The

of AlaskaRespect for nature and ancestors

marked the Tlingit culture

^ ^ H orcenruries, cheTlin-^M git (CLlNK-it) Indi-^ ^ 1 ^ ans of Southeastern^ ^ B ^ ^ l Alaska believed that^ ^ H ^ ^ the salmon teeming^ ^ H in their waters^ ^ H belonged to a sacred^ ^ 1 race of people. The^Hi "salmon people"swarmed up the rivers in invisiblecanoes each spring, offering them-selves to humans as food. The Tlingit

Words to Know• archipelago (AHR-kuh-PEHL-uh-goh):a group of islands.• cnsT: an animal or plant used as asymbol for a family or clan.• totem pole: a collection of crestscarved from a sin^e log.

By Deborah White

showed their gratitude with songsand ceremonies. AJterward, theyreturned the bones of the salmonpeople to the sea to be reborn.

The Tlingit, whose name means"people of the tidelands," migratedfrom Asia across the Bering LandBridge thousands of years ago. Theysettled in the Alexander Archipel-ago, a small chain of windsweptislands along the coast of the AlaskaPanhandle (see map, p, }}). In thisregion of rolling waves, ruggedcoastlines, and lush rain forests,they created a unique culture.

From the forests they cut toweringred cedar trees. They used the woodto build houses and canoes, and tocarve totem poles, becoming masterwoodworkers. From the sea and land

they fed and clothed themselves withthe meat and skins of seals, sea otters,deer, beavers, and other animals.

No animal was killed needlesslyor wasted. The Tlingit believed thatevery creature had a soul. Givingthanks and treating animal remains(dead bodies) with respect ensuredthat their spirits would return.

The Raven and the Eagle

A mong the creatures the Tlingitheld most sacred were thecrafty raven and the noble

eagle. The Tlingit themselves weredivided into two groups, or moieties

B JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

This painting depicts a potlatch celebrating the raising of a totem pole.

(MWAH-eh'tees). One side wasrepresented by a raven, the other hyan eagle.

The strongest bond in Tlingitlife, however, was with an individ-ual's clan, or extended family. Eachclan considered itself relatedthrough a legendary ancestor. Eachhad its own stories and its owncrest, an animal symbol that repre-sented the family history. In cere-monies, it was used to symbolize orcommunicate with ancestral spirits.

The Tlingit culture was one ofthe few where lineage (familydescent) was passed down through

the mother, rather than the father.Normally, a man's wealth would beinherited by his sisters childreninstead of his own.

All children had to go through ini-tiation rites. When a boy was about10 years old, he went to live with hismothers brother. The boy's uncleinstructed him in the history of hisclan and taught him how to carvewood, hunt, ajid fish. Lighting thefire in the home each winter morningwas the boy's special responsibility.

Girls learned their clan's legendsand skills such as cooking and basketweaving from female elders.

The WAinter Village

Traditional Tlingit life revolvedaround the seasons. In latespring, people traveled to

hunting and fishing camps, wherethey remained until the fall.

In autumn, the Tlingit gatheredagain in their villages. Each Tlingitvillage held several large houses. Suchbuildings, called longhouses, couldaccommodate a number of familiesfrom the same clan. The longhousewas the focal point of Tlingit sociallife, with the clans noble family liv-ing in the back, near a storeroom ofthe clan's sacred treasures.

SEPTEMBER SO . 2004

Traditional Tlingit life revolved around theseasons. In late spring, villages emptied aspeople moved to hunting and fishing camps.

The eldest man iti this family ledthe entire household. Other femiUesfrom the clan lived along the sides ofthe house. The Tlingit also keptslaves, many of whom had been cap-tured in war, who slept by the frontdoor. In the middle of the hotise wasa large hearth where meals werecooked for the house chief or forguests attending celebrations.

The most important celebrationwas the potlatch, a great feast usu-ally given by the clan chief to marka significant event. Potlatches wereheld at weddings, house raisings,totem pole raisings, and funerals.Each potlatch featured dancing,singing, feasting, and storytelling.

The potlatch was also an expres-sion of the chief's status. (The wordpotlatch comes from the Chinookword for "giving.") Many gifts wereoffered at a potlatch, including furs,rare shells, and blankets. A chief'sprestige (importance), in fact, de-pended on how much he gave away!

The Old Ways Vanish

The Tlingits' first contact withwhites came with the arrival ofRussian traders in the mid-

1700s. Europeans and Americanssoon followed. The Tlingit built astrong trading economy, based inpart on their skill with canoes.

For a long time, they fiercelyresisted attempts to control them.But diseases brought in by settlersdevastated the tribe, especially thesmallpox epidemics (widespreadoutbreaks) of 1835-1840. Abouthalf of the roughly 15,000 tribalmembers died from the disease.

By then, some Tlingit had mar-ried the new settlers and adoptedtheir ways, which included joiningthe Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1867, Russia "sold" Alaska—including Tlingit lands-—to theUnited States. Americans soondescended on the Indians' homelandand took control. U.S. companiesseized the major salmon streams and

Modern-day Tlingit youth in traditional regalia.

TO JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

Homelandsof the Tlingit,

Haida, andTsimshian

VANCOUVE»|.ISLAND "

WASHINGTON

built canneries (amiuiig tLater, in the "gold rushes" of the1880s and 1890s, thousands moreoutsiders overran the area.

In a relatively brief time, theTlingit lost their traditional way oflife. Villages were abandoned aspeople moved to the cities to seekwork in the canneries. At first, eventhese jobs were denied them.

The 2Oth Century

Despite setbacks, however, theTlingit never gave up theirclaims co their ancestral lands.

Beginning with the work of a Tlingitlav^er named William Paul in the1920s, they fought for their rightsand won some victories. When

Alaska became a state in 1959i theTlingit joined with other AlaskaNatives to stop even more land frombeing taken by the state government.

In 1971, the Alaska Native ClaimsSettlement Aa gave the combinedtribes of Alaska a settlement of moneyand land. Instead of establishingreservations, the act made the Indiansstockholders in corporations thatmanage the land for profit. When theprocess is complete, the Tlingit willhave reclaimed some 500,000 acresthrough about 11 corporations.

The 2000 Census estimated thenumber of Tlingit in Alaska to befewer than 10,000. Among sometribal members there is a growingeffort to reclaim their language andtraditions. Frederick "Eric" Lauth, 13,(see cover) is proud of his Tlingit her-itage. He performs Native dances at acultural center in Saxman, Alaska."For me," says the eighth-grader,"love of family and respect for eldersare what matter most." JS

Author Deborah White is a member ofthe Tsimshian tribe (see map). Shelives in Ketchikan, which has beenhome to her family since 1886. White'sgrandmothers instructed her in thearts of basketry, regalia making, bead-ing, leatherworking, and doll making.

Your TurnW O R D M A T C H1. crest A. family descent2. clan B. feast3. lineage C. importance4. prestige D. animal symbol of

a family or clan5. potlatch E. extended family

THINK ABOUT IT1. What did Tlingit boys learn dur-ing their initiation rites? What didTlingit girls learn?2. Do you think the Tlingit couldever regain their traditional wayof life? Why or why not?

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