Native Culture

Tlingit people have occupied the Alaska Territory for thousands of years. Tlin-git (Klin-kit is the English pronunciation of the word Lingit) means People of the Tides. Tlingits do not live on reservations and don’t have sovereignty rights like other Native Nations do in the lower 48. They live in Native villages and belong to a coalition called The Central Council of the Tlingit and Hiada Indian Tribes of Alaska which handles tribal government on behalf of several Native villages. Individual Tlingit Villages also have local councils that have economic control over their village resources.

Tlingit culture is complex and multi-faceted. An emphasis is placed on family, kinship and a rich tradition of oratory. Economic power and wealth are indicators of status but more im...

Please subscribe to keep reading.