AMERICAN HISTORY The of Alaska Respect for nature and ancestors marked the Tlingit culture By Deborah White ^^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 invisible canoes each spring, offering themselves 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 a symbol for a family or clan. totem pole: a collection of crests carved from a sin^e log. showed their gratitude with songs and ceremonies. AJterward, they returned the bones of the salmon people to the sea to be reborn. The Tlingit, whose name means "people of the tidelands," migrated from Asia across the Bering Land Bridge thousands of years ago. They settled in the Alexander Archipelago, a small chain of windswept islands along the coast of the Alaska Panhandle (see map, p, }}). In this region of rolling waves, rugged coastlines, and lush rain forests, they created a unique culture. From the forests they cut towering red cedar trees. They used the wood to build houses and canoes, and to carve totem poles, becoming master woodworkers. From the sea and land they fed and clothed themselves with the meat and skins of seals, sea otters, deer, beavers, and other animals. No animal was killed needlessly or wasted. The Tlingit believed that every creature had a soul. Giving thanks and treating animal remains (dead bodies) with respect ensured that their spirits would return. The Raven and the Eagle Among the creatures the Tlingit held most sacred were the crafty raven and the noble eagle. The Tlingit themselves were divided 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 was represented by a raven, the other hy an eagle. The strongest bond in Tlingit life, however, was with an individual's clan, or extended family. Each clan considered itself related through a legendary ancestor. Each had its own stories and its own crest, an animal symbol that represented the family history. In ceremonies, it was used to symbolize or communicate with ancestral spirits. The Tlingit culture was one of the few where lineage (family descent) was passed down through the mother, rather than the father. Normally, a man's wealth would be inherited by his sisters children instead of his own. All children had to go through initiation rites. When a boy was about 10 years old, he went to live with his mothers brother. The boy's uncle instructed him in the history of his clan and taught him how to carve wood, hunt, ajid fish. Lighting the fire in the home each winter morning was the boy's special responsibility. Girls learned their clan's legends and skills such as cooking and basket weaving from female elders. The WAinter Village Traditional Tlingit life revolved around the seasons. In late spring, people traveled to hunting and fishing camps, where they remained until the fall. In autumn, the Tlingit gathered again in their villages. Each Tlingit village held several large houses. Such buildings, called longhouses, could accommodate a number of families from the same clan. The longhouse was the focal point of Tlingit social life, with the clans noble family living in the back, near a storeroom of the clan's sacred treasures. SEPTEMBER SO. 2004
Traditional Tlingit life revolved around the seasons. In late spring, villages emptied as people moved to hunting and fishing camps. The eldest man iti this family led the entire household. Other femiues from the clan lived along the sides of the house. The Tlingit also kept slaves, many of whom had been captured in war, who slept by the front door. In the middle of the hotise was a large hearth where meals were cooked for the house chief or for guests attending celebrations. The most important celebration was the potlatch, a great feast usually given by the clan chief to mark a significant event. Potlatches were held at weddings, house raisings, totem pole raisings, and funerals. Each potlatch featured dancing, singing, feasting, and storytelling. The potlatch was also an expression of the chief's status. (The word potlatch comes from the Chinook word for "giving.") Many gifts were offered at a potlatch, including furs, rare shells, and blankets. A chief's prestige (importance), in fact, depended on how much he gave away! The Old Ways Vanish The Tlingits' first contact with whites came with the arrival of Russian traders in the mid- 1700s. Europeans and Americans soon followed. The Tlingit built a strong trading economy, based in part on their skill with canoes. For a long time, they fiercely resisted attempts to control them. But diseases brought in by settlers devastated the tribe, especially the smallpox epidemics (widespread outbreaks) of 1835-1840. About half of the roughly 15,000 tribal members died from the disease. By then, some Tlingit had married the new settlers and adopted their ways, which included joining the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1867, Russia "sold" Alaska including Tlingit lands- to the United States. Americans soon descended on the Indians' homeland and took control. U.S. companies seized the major salmon streams and Modern-day Tlingit youth in traditional regalia. TO JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC
Homelands of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian VANCOUVE». ISLAND " WASHINGTON built canneries (amiuiig t Later, in the "gold rushes" of the 1880s and 1890s, thousands more outsiders overran the area. In a relatively brief time, the Tlingit lost their traditional way of life. Villages were abandoned as people moved to the cities to seek work in the canneries. At first, even these jobs were denied them. The 2Oth Century Despite setbacks, however, the Tlingit never gave up their claims co their ancestral lands. Beginning with the work of a Tlingit lav^er named William Paul in the 1920s, they fought for their rights and won some victories. When Alaska became a state in 1959i the Tlingit joined with other Alaska Natives to stop even more land from being taken by the state government. In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Aa gave the combined tribes of Alaska a settlement of money and land. Instead of establishing reservations, the act made the Indians stockholders in corporations that manage the land for profit. When the process is complete, the Tlingit will have reclaimed some 500,000 acres through about 11 corporations. The 2000 Census estimated the number of Tlingit in Alaska to be fewer than 10,000. Among some tribal members there is a growing effort to reclaim their language and traditions. Frederick "Eric" Lauth, 13, (see cover) is proud of his Tlingit heritage. He performs Native dances at a cultural center in Saxman, Alaska. "For me," says the eighth-grader, "love of family and respect for elders are what matter most." JS Author Deborah White is a member of the Tsimshian tribe (see map). She lives in Ketchikan, which has been home to her family since 1886. White's grandmothers instructed her in the arts of basketry, regalia making, beading, leatherworking, and doll making. Your Turn WORD M A T C H 1. crest A. family descent 2. clan B. feast 3. lineage C. importance 4. prestige D. animal symbol of a family or clan 5. potlatch E. extended family THINK ABOUT IT 1. What did Tlingit boys learn during their initiation rites? What did Tlingit girls learn? 2. Do you think the Tlingit could ever regain their traditional way of life? Why or why not? SEPTEMBER 2Q. 2OO4 11