Skagway, Alaska (59°75' N / 135°53' W) lies within the Traditional boundaries of the Lkhóot (Chilkoot) Band of Lingít (Tlingit – commonly pronounced klink-it). The name comes from the Lingít word Shghagwéi, which can be translated to “roughed up” or "bunched up" because of the blustery conditions that are common conditions in this area. While the Skagway area was not traditionally occupied year round, the neighboring valley of Diyée (Dyea) was the site of a small community that chose not to live in the larger, neighboring villages of Lkóot, Dei Shú (Haines), Yandustuki, or Lukwaan (Klukwan). There was also a man who lived in a small house at the mouth of Náaxk’w (Naku) bay, and there were several fish camps and hunting cabins in the region that were regularly occupied from spring until fall as the Native People gathered traditional foods, medicines, and supplies.
Skagway was also the home of a vital trade route for the Lingít people, who had developed a complex economy and traded with other Tribes in a vast circle of commerce that ranged from the interior of what is now Alaska and Canada to the tip of Southern California, and may have included the pacific islands of Hawaii and the Eastern Coast of Asia. The trails in the Shgagwéi area were commonly known as the “grease trail” (óox dei) because valuable fish and seal oils were packed into the interior in exchange for moose hides & meat, as well as copper, the metal that symbolized the ultimate wealth and prestige along the Northwest Coast. The Lingít traveled north on foot, using dogs to pack supplies and snowshoes in the winter; and traveled south in cedar dugout canoes with bentwood boxes full of food, grease, and trade goods.
An intricate system of clans and houses make up the Lingít social structure, and the relationship of the clans determined land rights, marriages, and leadership. There are two sides to the Lingít clan structure: Yéil (Raven) and Ch’áak’ (Eagle) – and all clans are from one side or the other (example: Lukaax.adí is a Raven clan represented by the Sockeye design). Marriages occur from one side to the other only, and all children are born into their mother’s clan (matrilineal) and are considered a child of their father’s clan. So a child with a Lukaax.adí mother and Dakl’aweidí father would introduce themselves as being Lukaax.adí and then honor their father’s people by saying they are also Dakl’aweidí yadí (child of the Dakl’aweidí).
As the northernmost Tribe of the Northwest Coast, the Lingít are one of many Tribes that are known worldwide for formline design, totem poles, baskets, and the Raven’s Tail & Chilkat weavings. The art of the Lingít people is a vital form of expression and is linked to the concept of at.óow – which is an “owned thing” that belongs to the clan. Forms of at.óow include dancing regalia, stories, feasting dishes and spoons, speaker’s staffs, houses, and totem poles. This concept was not well understood by early Non-Native settlers, in particular by missionaries and government officials, who collectively banned, burned, and prohibited traditional activities and items that related to the at.óow of the Lingít people.
The misunderstanding and lack of respect for the Lingít way of life resulted in a web of oppression, and when combined with new diseases like tuberculosis and influenza, it left the Native People of the Northwest Coast struggling to survive. Infringements on the people’s land and ways of living left traditional leaders searching for methods to keep their people from losing hope, and many turned to the distractions of drugs and alcohol. The end result is the modern day conditions for the Lingít people, who now battle addictions and abuses within the family, racial discrimination within education and justice systems, and a loss of language and culture.
But even with these hardships, there is a tremendous amount of hope within the Lingít society, a hope that Raven’s lost children will find their path once again. More and more children and adults are showing an interest in learning the Lingít language, and are making strides in understanding the way their ancestors thought and behaved. The recent embrace of tradition has resulted in totem pole raisings and building dedications as the people race to save their way of life by bringing tradition back into their lives and recognizing the importance of their at.óow and the ku.eex’ (potlatch).
Within that circle of history and ongoing development, a tiny
assembly of Native people in the town of Skagway constitutes the Skagway Traditional
Council (STC), a Tribe that carries the vision of a people reborn in their
tradition. The STC builds community based programs that foster wellness within
the community by caring for and focusing on children and elders, and works
with other Tribes in the region and state to care for Native people by addressing
the illnesses that have crawled into our families. In a town is known to many
as only a gold rush town, something wonderful is happening: a people are realizing
their potential and are empowering themselves through self-governance.
Gunalchéesh (thank you) – Xoynéi (Lance A. Twitchell), Lukaax.adí Lingít & Kaigani Haida
map courtesy of "Litesite Alaska "