| Tlingit |
|---|
 Chief Anotklosh of the Taku Tribe, ca. The Taku are an American Native people now generally included with or known as the Tlingit. 1913 |
| Total population |
|
11,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| USA (Alaska), Canada (British Columbia, Yukon) |
| Languages |
| English, Tlingit |
| Religions |
| Christianity, other |
The Tlingit (pronounced /ˈklɪŋkɪt/ in English, also /-gɪt/ or /ˈtlɪŋkɪt/, which is often considered inaccurate) are an Indigenous people of northwestern America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Tlingit language (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English Lingít ɬɪŋkɪ́t in Tlingit is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups Their name for themselves is Lingít (IPA: [ɬɪŋkɪt]) , meaning "people". The Russian name Koloshi (from an Aleut term for the labret) or the related German name Koulischen may be encountered in older historical literature. Aleut ( Unangam Tunuu) is a language of the Eskimo-Aleut Language family. A LABRET is one form of Body piercing. Taken literally it is any type of adornment that is attached to the facial lip (labrum
The Tlingit are a matrilineal society who developed a complex hunter-gatherer culture in the temperate rainforest of the southeast Alaska coast and the Alexander Archipelago. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long Archipelago, or group of islands off the southeastern coast of Alaska. The Tlingit language is well known not only for its complex grammar and sound system but also for using certain phonemes which are not heard in almost any other language. The Tlingit language (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English Lingít ɬɪŋkɪ́t in Tlingit is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western The phoneME project is Sun Microsystems reference implementation of Java virtual machine and associated libraries of Java ME with source licensed under the GNU
Contents |
History
- Main article: History of the Tlingit
The history of the Tlingit involves both pre-contact and post-contact historical events and stories. The history of the Tlingit involves both pre-contact and post-contact historical events and stories The traditional history involved the creation stories, the Raven Cycle, other tangentially related events during the mythic age when spirits freely transformed from animal to human and back, the migration story of coming to Tlingit lands, the clan histories, and more recent events near the time of first contact with Europeans. At this point the European and American historical records come into play, and although modern Tlingits have access to and review these historical records, they continue to maintain their own historical record by telling stories of ancestors and events which have importance to them against the background of the changing world.
Territory
The maximum territory historically occupied by the Tlingit extended from the Portland Canal along the present border between Alaska and British Columbia north to the coast just southeast of the Copper River delta. The Portland Canal is an arm of Portland Inlet, one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The Copper River or Ahtna River ( Ahtna Athabascan ' Atna) is a river approximately 300 mi (480 km long in south-central Alaska in The Tlingit occupied almost all of the Alexander Archipelago except the southernmost end of Prince of Wales Island and its surroundings into which the Kaigani Haida moved just before the first encounters with European explorers. The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long Archipelago, or group of islands off the southeastern coast of Alaska. For other islands named after the Prince of Wales see Prince of Wales Island. The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America. Inland the Tlingit occupied areas along the major rivers which pierce the Coast Mountains and Saint Elias Mountains and flow into the Pacific, including the Alsek, Tatshenshini, Chilkat, Taku, and Stikine rivers. The Coast Mountains are a Mountain range of the Pacific Cordillera, running along the north western shore of the North American continent extending south The Saint Elias Mountains are a subgroup of the Pacific Coast Ranges located in southeastern Alaska ( United States) southwestern Yukon and the The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Alsek River is a Wilderness River flowing from the Yukon into Northern British Columbia and into Alaska. The Tatshenshini River ("Shäwshe Chù" in Southern Tutchone) is a River in the southwestern Yukon and the northwestern corner of British Chilkat River is a River in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska that flows southward from the Coast Range to the Chilkat Inlet Not to be confused with the Taku Arm of Tagish Lake The Taku River is a River running from British Columbia, Canada Stikine River (sti-KEEN is a river historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 335 mi (539 km long in northwestern British Columbia in With regular travel up these rivers the Tlingit developed extensive trade networks with Athabascan tribes of the interior, and commonly intermarried with them. Athabaskan or Athabascan (also Athapascan, Athapaskan, Athabasca Indians or Athapaskes) is the name of a large group of closely From this regular travel and trade, a few relatively large populations of Tlingit settled around the Atlin, Teslin, and Tagish lakes, the headwaters of which flow from areas near the headwaters of the Taku River. Atlin Lake is a Lake in northwestern British Columbia and is that province's largest natural lake Tagish Lake is a Lake in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia, Canada.
Delineating the modern territory of the Tlingit is complicated by the fact that they are spread across the border between the United States and Canada, by the lack of designated reservations, other complex legal and political concerns, and a relatively high level of mobility among the population, as well as overlapped territory with various Athapaskan peoples such as the Tahltan, Kaska and Tagish. Tahltan (also Nahanni) refers to a Northern Athabaskan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada The Tagish or Tagish Khwáan are a group of Athabaskan First Nation people that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in the In Canada, the modern communities of Atlin, British Columbia (Taku River Tlingit), Teslin, Yukon (Teslin Tlingit Council), and Carcross, Yukon (Carcross/Tagish First Nation) have reserves and are the representative Interior Tlingit populations. Atlin is a community in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located on Atlin Lake. The community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin and an adjacent reserve (Teslin Post 13 in the Yukon, Canada. The Teslin Tlingit Council is a First Nation in the central Yukon Territory in Canada located in Teslin Yukon along the Alaska Highway and Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares The Carcross/Tagish First Nation is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada For the vast tract created by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 in Canada and the United States see Indian Reserve (1763 In Canada The territory occupied by the modern Tlingit people in Alaska is however not restricted to particular reservations, unlike most tribes in the contiguous 48 states. An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American Tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau This is the result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) which established regional corporations throughout Alaska with complex portfolios of land ownership rather than bounded reservations administered by tribal governments. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M The corporation in the Tlingit region is Sealaska, Inc. which serves the Tlingit as well as the Haida in Alaska. The Haida (19th C-early 20th C Indigenous nation of the west coast of North America. Tlingit people as a whole participate in the commercial economy of Alaska, and as a consequence live in typically American nuclear family households with private ownership of housing and land. Many also possess land allotments from Sealaska or from earlier distributions predating ANCSA. Despite the legal and political complexities, the territory historically occupied by the Tlingit can be reasonably designated as their modern homeland, and Tlingit people today envision the land from around Yakutat south through the Alaskan Panhandle and including the lakes in the Canadian interior as being Lingít Aaní, the Land of the Tlingit. Yakutat City and Borough (ˈjækətɑːt is a unified city- borough in the U The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U
The extant Tlingit territory can be roughly divided into four major sections, paralleling ecological, linguistic, and cultural divisions. Hoonah is a city on Chichagof Island in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska, United States. Glacier Bay is a Bay in south-eastern Alaska, United States. It runs north northwest to south south-east for about 105 km (65 miles between two pinchets The Southern Tlingit occupy the region south of Frederick Sound, and live in the northernmost reaches of the Western Redcedar forest. Frederick Sound (also called Prince Frederick Sound or Prince Frederick's Sound) is a passage of water in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family North of Frederick Sound to Cape Spencer, and including Glacier Bay and the Lynn Canal, are the Northern Tlingit, who occupy the warmest and richest of the Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock forest. Glacier Bay is a Bay in south-eastern Alaska, United States. It runs north northwest to south south-east for about 105 km (65 miles between two pinchets The Lynn Canal is an Inlet (not an artificial Canal) into the mainland of southeast Alaska. The Sitka Spruce ( Picea sitchensis) is a large Coniferous Evergreen Tree growing to 50-70 m tall exceptionally to 100 m tall and Tsuga heterophylla ( Western Hemlock) is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the The Inland Tlingit live along the large interior lakes and the drainage of the Taku River as well as in the southern Yukon territory, and subsist in a manner similar to their Athabascan neighbors in the mixed spruce taiga. Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests North of Cape Spencer, along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska to Controller Bay and Kayak Island, are the Gulf Coast Tlingit, who live along a narrow strip of coastline backed by steep mountains and extensive glaciers, and battered by Pacific storms. The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kayak Island ( which includes the Bering Expedition Landing Site, is located in the Gulf of Alaska, 100 km (62 mi SE of Cordova Alaska Malaspina The trade and cultural interactions between each of these Tlingit groups and their disparate neighbors, the differences in food harvest practices, and the dialectical differences contribute to these identifications which are also supported by similar self-identifications among the Tlingit.
Culture
- Main article: Culture of the Tlingit
The Tlingit culture is multifaceted and complex, a characteristic of Northwest Pacific Coast peoples with access to easily exploited rich resources. The culture of the Tlingit, an Indigenous people from Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon, is multifaceted and complex a characteristic In Tlingit culture a heavy emphasis is placed upon family and kinship, and on a rich tradition of oratory. Wealth and economic power are important indicators of status, but so is generosity and proper behavior, all signs of "good breeding" and ties to aristocracy. Art and spirituality are incorporated in nearly all areas of Tlingit culture, with even everyday objects such as spoons and storage boxes decorated and imbued with spiritual power and historical beliefs of the Tlingits.
Philosophy and religion
- Main article: Philosophy and religion of the Tlingit
Tlingit thought and belief, although never formally codified, was historically a fairly well organized philosophical and religious system whose basic axioms shaped the way Tlingit people viewed and interacted with the world around them. The philosophy and religion of the Tlingit, although never formally codified was historically a fairly well organized philosophical and religious system whose basic axioms shaped Between 1886 and 1895, in the face of their shamans' inability to treat Old World diseases including smallpox, most of the Tlingit people converted to Orthodox Christianity. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world (Russian Orthodox missionaries had translated their liturgy into the Tlingit language. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure ) After the introduction of Christianity, the Tlingit belief system began to erode. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings
Today, some young Tlingits look back towards what their ancestors believed, for inspiration, security, and a sense of identity. This causes some friction in Tlingit society, because most modern Tlingit elders are fervent believers in Christianity, and have transferred or equated many Tlingit concepts with Christian ones. Indeed, many elders believe that resurrection of heathen practices of shamanism and spirituality are dangerous, and are better forgotten.
Language
- Main article: Tlingit language
The Tlingit language (pronounced /ˈklɪŋkɨt/ in English, Lingít IPA: [ɬɪŋkɪ́t] in Tlingit) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. The Tlingit language (ˈklɪŋkɪt in English Lingít ɬɪŋkɪ́t in Tlingit is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is highly endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English. Extensive effort is being put into revitalization programs in Southeast Alaska to revive and preserve the Tlingit language and its culture.
Food
- Main article: Food of the Tlingit
Food is a central part of Tlingit culture, and the land is an abundant provider. The food of the Tlingit, an Indigenous people from Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon, is a central part of Tlingit culture A saying amongst the Tlingit is that "when the tide goes out the table is set". This refers to the richness of intertidal life found on the beaches of Southeast Alaska, most of which can be harvested for food. Another saying is that "in Lingít Aaní you have to be an idiot to starve". Since food is so easy to gather from the beaches, a person who can't feed himself at least enough to stay alive is considered to be a fool, perhaps mentally incompetent or suffering from very bad luck. However, though eating off the beach would provide a fairly healthy and varied diet, eating nothing but "beach food" is considered contemptible among the Tlingit, and a sign of poverty. Indeed, shamans and their families were required to abstain from all food gathered from the beach, and men might avoid eating beach food before battles or strenuous activities in the belief that it would weaken them spiritually and perhaps physically as well. Thus for both spiritual reasons as well as to add some variety to the diet, the Tlingit harvest many other resources for food besides those which are easily found outside their front doors. No other food resource receives as much emphasis as salmon; however seal and game are both close seconds. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising
See also
External Links
Anash Interactive - An online destination where users create comics, write stories, watch webisodes, download podcasts, play games, read stories and comics by other members, and find out about the Tlingit people of Canada. The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups
- Tlingit Myths and Texts, John R. Swanton, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 39, 1909
References
John Reed Swanton ( 19 February 1873 – 2 May, 1958) was an American Anthropologist who worked with Native American peoplesDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic