Introduction to the Tlingit Tribe

The Tlingit tribe lived on the rocky shores of Southeastern Alaska in the Northwest Coast. They hunted and fished, and had potlatches with other tribes. Their tribes name means human beings or people of the tidelands.

Geographic Location

The Tlingit Tribe lived in the Pacific Northwest region. They lived in a part of southeastern Alaska known as the Alaskan Panhandle. In that area, there were many mountains and glaciers. It was very cold in the winter, cool in the summer, and very wet and rainy. It also was very windy and snowed in late autumn and winter.

Food

The Tlingit tribe hunted and fished for halibut, salmon, herring, candlefish, moose, deer, goats, seals, berries, and more. The food was dried and stored to preserve them. They cooked fish by boiling, baking, and roasting them.

Housing

The Tlingit lived in large, rectangular plank houses. The houses were made from towering red cedar trees, which were turned into posts, beams, and wide planks. Some ceremonies were also held in other large, rectangular buildings.

Clothing

The Tlingit wore different kinds of clothes in different seasons or kinds of weather. They wore loincloths and skirts in warm weather, basket caps and raincoats in cold weather, and tanned animal skins or blankets in winter. They made these clothes using cedar bark, spruce root, goat wool, or dog hair. Some special clothing wore at ceremonies are Chilkat blankets or button blankets. They are made by weaving bark and wool.

Customs and Traditions

When a baby was born, the mother and newborn remained for shelter for about 10 days to avoid contaminating the clan house. Also, the young man and woman exchanged gifts at their marriage ceremony.