Raymond Bial - The People and Culture of the Tlingit

This chest was originally from Russia. Tlingit communities traded with the Russians for objects like these.

Celebrating with Potlatches

Native peoples of the Northwest, including the Tlingit, often came together for important celebrations known as potlatches. The term potlatch comes from the Nootka word patshatl, which means giving or gift. In these feasts, nobles generously shared their wealth by feeding their guests and lavishing gifts on them. By accepting the food and gifts, the guests acknowledged the wealth and rank of the host. During the potlatch, the host family displayed their clan crests through songs and dances. Crests also adorned masks and other finely crafted objectseven the serving dishes. Afterward, the guests hosted their own potlatches to share what they had with their hosts and establish claims to property and rights to names.

All the coastal tribes of the Northwest held potlatches to mark key moments in the cycle of life. For example, the Tsimshian held a potlatch to mark the death of a leader, and the Haida celebrated the dedication of a chiefs house and later his death with a potlatch.

The Tlingit held potlatches at three vital occasions piercing the ears of noble children, funerals, and memorials when an heir assumed the position of leadership left by his mothers brother (uncle). During winter, houses also hosted potlatches to bring together spirits, ancestors, and the living to celebrate changes in rank and lives of family members. Partitions inside the house were removed to make a large room for guests who came from near and far. At these potlatches, guests respectfully called upon the spirits for help in feeding, clothing, and healing people.

The arrival of Europeans brought many devastating changes to the Native peoples of the Northwest that affected the tradition of potlatches. Hundreds of people, including many nobles, perished in terrible epidemics of measles and smallpox for which the Native people had little or no resistance. Commoners then claimed the titles, rights, and wealth of the deceased nobles. Beginning in the 1830s, the Hudsons Bay Company offered valuable goods in exchange for furs, and a hardworking commoner could amass enough wealth to host a potlatch and lay claim to a high name. These commoners tended to use their newly acquired riches more as bribes than as gifts. People of different tribes also gathered in villages around forts and trading posts. This close everyday contact with new neighbors led to a cycle of extravagant, rival potlatches to establish the social positions of house, clan, and tribal chiefs among the Tlingit and other coastal people.

These dolls were toys belonging to Native children. They featured different Alaskan tribes, such as the Inuit and the Tlingit.

The potlatch came to be viewed as an elaborate game and a foolish extravagance corrupted by trade goods. Officials, missionaries, and Native converts in both the United States and Canada opposed the potlatch. They did not understand how people could devote years of their lives to amassing wealth only to give everything away. Potlatches were outlawed in both countries, but in the twenty-first century, the Tlingit are allowed to host these complex events that hold such deep meaning to them.

Tlingit Religious Beliefs

The Tlingit religion is not practiced by most Tlingit. Most Tlingit have converted to Orthodox Christianity, which they got from Russian missionaries that were the first major European presence in their lands. Catholics and Protestants from America and Canada eventually found the Tlingit as well and converted them. Still, the traditions of the Tlingit are known and practiced today.

A Russian Orthodox priest named Innokentii converted many Tlingit.

Tlingit people believe in the Creator Raven, who had a big part in the creation of the world. As read in chapter 1, one creation story tells of the Raven stealing the stars, the moon, and the sun.

The Tlingit also believe in a number of animal spirits, which can manifest their power through other animals and people. Tlingit are taught to respect the world of spirits and nature and to not let anything go to waste.

Storytelling and Legends

According to Tlingit beliefs, humans and animals are closely related. The animals who were once people fled into the forest and sea when Raven brought light to the world. They believe that animals may assume human form, as in one story in which a bear marries a woman. People, such as Salmon Boy, can also become animals. Of all the animals, it is thought that Bear and Raven are most like people. Walking on his hind legs, Bear hunts for the same foods as do people. With hand-like paws, he catches salmon and picks berries and nuts. Raven, moving cleverly between the human and the animal worlds, both generously helps people and plays tricks on them. He is also imbued with human flaws of selfishness and greed. These relationships between people and animals often emphasize the survival of the Tlingit, especially the vital task of acquiring food.