The Tlingit: Alaskan Salmon Fishers - Term Paper Example

The Tlingit: Alaskan Salmon Fishers Introduction The Tlingit, meaning people of the tides, are people indigenous tothe Pacific Northwest Coast. These people are situated north of Seattle and south of Anchorage, from Ketchikan to Yakutat, much of the area being temperate rainforest. There are only a few roads that connect to these communities with a majority of regions in the area designated as National Parks. As of 2010, the population in Alaska was less than 600,000 of which 86,000 were native Alaskans. The Tlingit numbered about 16,771 with a majority still living in rural areas leading subsistence lifestyles (Sturmer 2). They have an extensive rich culture and history which they continue to cherish even in their modern-day settlement in southeast Alaska. Origins The origin of the Tlingit as an independent ethnic group remains relatively scanty. It has been speculated to span as far back as the fourth millennium BC (Grinev 18). The theory of the coastal migration from north Asia across the land mass of the Bering Strait has been put forth by Campbell to explain where the Tlingit originated from (23). Others believe that the Tlingit migrated from Polynesia through island-hopping. Despite this difference, it is generally agreed that the Tlingit people settled along southeast Alaska many thousand years ago. According to Emmons, these people came down to the coast and rivers as bands or small families searching for better food conditions than they could afford in their country (8). The older clans considered to be more important constituted the southeastern Alaska Tlingit community. Their northward migration populated the southeastern Alaska coasts and islands with the fear of expanding southwards due to the warring Tsimshian and Haida tribes that equaled the Tlingit in socioeconomics. This migration was however arrested by the Russian invasion towards the end of the eighteenth century along the shore of Mount Saint Elias. Traditional Life Among the Tlingit, beliefs, ceremonies and religion were based on animism and totemism. Animism entailed religious or spiritual idea of natural objects and the universe having spirits or souls (Campbell 25). It was believed that spirits existed in animals, rocks, plants and tress just as in humans. Their traditions and customs entailed use of Totem poles which commonly featured masked dancers. Their tradition also encompassed numerous ceremonies to celebrate various events, dancing being a common activity in such events. Settlements Early settlers chose village sites that were located near resources along protected coastline sections that provided for catching migrating salmon, digging clams, beaching canoes and accessing drinking water. According to Grinev, the increase in Tlingit population, competition for resources and intensity of warfare patterns resulted in four kinds of villages: local moiety, localized clan, local household and consolidated clan villages (34). Earlier, people lived in a large community longhouse that served as shelter, fort and store. However, population increase and mounting tension caused the large households to break up into smaller lineage households that shared a fort. Later, two intermarrying clans drawn from the moieties came together so as to reduce distance, foster security and share resources. Finally, depopulation and further depletion of resources after contact with the European led to consolidated clan village made up of two or more clans drawn from both moieties. Social Dimensions The Tlingit are divided into seventeen tribes. Their social organization is matriarchal due to two parties, also referred to as phratries, each of which comprise of obscure and independent families and clans (Emmons 22). These phratries do not have any heads thus no form of political organization or a moiety chief. The two phratries are the Wolf (at times referred to as Eagle) and the Raven, with people having absolute right to either of these depending on which one a person is born into. A clan, the second tier in the Tlingit social structure, was made up of multiple lineages. As such, any foreign groups would be considered as a clan. Rank was highly regarded with the most prestigious lineage earning the leadership title. The third and final tier, lineages, was small enough to allow for tracing back to founding ancestors. Those closer to the lineage were held with high esteem with the lineage leader being the highest rank (Sturmer 9). Ceremonies among the Tlingit included the feast for the children, funeral feast and memorial potlatch. Appearance and Clothing The Tlingit are known to be tall. Grinev documents their average height as six feet (17). Their trunks are long and almost round. They have strongly developed arms and chests with their legs appearing almost bent outwards at the knees like is observed of horsemen of steppes, perhaps due to the extended sitting in narrow boats. A majority of Tlingit people have round faces with no beards although oblong and lean faces with aquiline noses could also be commonly observed. Emmons further describes these people as being heavier than light with foreheads not so high, but broad, appearing to lean backwards (10). Their eyes are narrow, though not comparable to that of the Japanese and Chinese and their slightly copper colored skin makes it difficult to distinguish them from Europeans. The Tlingit clothing were made from locally available materials and adaptive to their environment. These people wore skirts and loincloths made from cedar bark among those living near warmer coasts and from deerskin among those in the inland Alaska. While men had loose flowing hair, women pinned their hair. The Chilkat robe, named after the Chilkat clan, is an identity of the Tlingit, each of which could take up to five years to complete due to the circular and horizontal weaving patterns (Grinev 39). Though these traditional dressing remain common in burials and traditional ceremonies in modern context, a majority of these modern Tlingit people dress in dancing robes and button blankets during such celebrations. The Russian culture has influenced these clothing such that they would be decorated in clan emblems. Headbands made of cedar, felt or spruce would accompany these dressings. Wool and cotton also became common for clothing after western trading. Manufacturers and Household Life The arrival of Europeans in the northwest coast saw the Tlingit increase activity in handcraft production. Grinev attributes this to new raw materials and tools and even further, the resultant market expansion (211). From the Europeans, they got copper sheets, scrap iron, paints and fine leather among other raw materials that enabled them to manufacture various handcrafted items. Metal instruments increased their production of horn, bone and wooden items. Furthermore, Emmons (22) observes that the Tlingit made European fabric cloaks and buttons. They were involved in manufacturing jewelries, particularly from silver. Their metal smith skills enabled them to repair guns. This handicraft industry only served personal needs but was also a form of an independent arm of the economy. Conveyance The 1867 Treaty of Cession referred to the indigenous Alaska people as uncivilized. As such, Alaska natives received treatment equal to that given to American Indians. This caused the Tlingit to be affected by the 1884 First Organic Act specifically on land and settlements. The Alaska Native Brotherhood, ANB founded in 1912 to fight for the rights of Alaska natives initiated discussions on land issues in 1929. The law suit against the government of America saw the Tlingit and even the Haidas have their 16 million acres of land transferred back to them. However, the Tlingit were not given any titles to their lands. The 1906 Allotment Act however saw the conveyance of 160 acres of land to adult natives only if such land contained no mineral deposits (Campbell 46). Today, the Tlingit enjoy most of the rights they did not have before, including land ownership. Subsistence Activities Water was the source of food for the Tlingit. The most important fish to these people was salmon occurring in their five species: Chinook, coho, sockeye, dog salmon and humpback. The water southeast also provided numerous deepwater fish and sea mammals. They also got food from sea plants like seaweed, goose tongue and beach asparagus. Traditionally, salmon streams and berry patches were owned by clans who also demarcated their own hunting land (Grinev 22). Although they had many options for food sources from sea mammal and land hunting, fishing was their common activity. Men were in charge of procuring the edibles while women prepared and preserved salmon for winter. Descent, Kinship and Marriage The Tlingit society is grouped into two exogamous moieties, the Raven and Wolf. Each moiety is made up of twenty autonomous matriclans. From an aboriginal consideration, Emmons observes that each matriclan had a village and entered into marriage alliances with different communities (35). People from the same clan could marry but rather, marriage ought to be among people from different clans (Emmons 22). Dowry is common in marriage and ideally, a man is to marry his father’s sister. Matricalns that had considerable intermarriage frequency in a specific area formed a district referred to as Kwaan, of which fourteen existed. Local matriclans were considered as corporate groups entitled to property, ceremonial objects and real estate. Clan, lineage and moiety affiliations still play a critical factor in marriage and ceremonies. Conclusion The origin of the Tlingit people is flimsy but the fact that they were largely hunters and gatherers is unquestionable. With their settlement in Pacific Northwest Coast, these people have deep culture that defines their traditional lives, marriage and social interactions. They were involved in artistic works, including carving and smith. They adorn their unique bodies with clothing that depict their culture. Though the arrival of the Europeans, and later modernism, transformed their lifestyles, they still uphold their cultural practices with high regard. Works Cited Campbell, R. In Darkest Alaska: Travel and Empire Along the Inside Passage. Philadelphia, PA: U of Pennsylvania, 2007. Print. Emmons, G. T. The Tlingit Indians. Seattle, WA: Washington IP, 1999. Print. Grinev, A. V. The Tlingit Indians in Russian America, 1741 – 1867. Nauka: U of Nebraska, 2005. Print. Sturmer, G. The Social Organization of the Tlingit and Its Integration into Daily Life. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. Read More