Totem Pole Masters
The Tlingit (pronounced KLINK-it) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast inhabiting the fjord-carved coastline and islands of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní) and parts of British Columbia and Yukon. With approximately 25,000 enrolled tribal members, the Tlingit developed one of the most complex and sophisticated non-agrarian societies in North America, thriving on abundant marine resources. Known for masterful artistry—including towering totem poles, intricate Chilkat blankets, and distinctive formline design—the Tlingit created rich material culture and complex social systems based on matrilineal clans, moiety organization, and elaborate ceremonial life centered on the potlatch.
The Potlatch - Validation Through Ceremony
The potlatch (Tlingit: koo.éex') stands at the center of Tlingit ceremonial and social life. These elaborate multi-day feasts hosted by one moiety for the opposite moiety serve multiple functions: honoring deceased clan members, validating hereditary rights and names, raising totem poles, and paying debts. Though banned by the U.S. government (1884-1934), Tlingit continued practicing potlatches covertly. Today, potlatches have fully revived as central expressions of Tlingit identity.
Resistance Warriors: Tlingit warriors wearing distinctive wooden helmets and body armor successfully resisted Russian colonization! In 1802, Tlingit forces destroyed the Russian settlement at Sitka. The Tlingit never submitted to Russian control, maintaining independence through military resistance and strategic trading. When Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, neither empire had conquered the Tlingit.
This page honors the Tlingit—master carvers whose totem poles stand as monuments to ancestral lineages, formline artists whose designs embody Pacific Northwest aesthetics, and resilient people maintaining cultural traditions across generations.
Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Tlingit totem poles featuring formline designs depicting clan crests, histories, and spiritual beings
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Chilkat blanket woven from mountain goat wool and cedar bark, displaying intricate formline designs requiring years to complete
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Traditional Tlingit clan house with painted formline designs on the front, housing extended families under matrilineal leadership
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rugged fjord-carved coastline of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní), traditional Tlingit homeland rich in marine resources
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tlingit ceremonial regalia including button blankets, headdresses, and clan crests worn during potlatches and cultural celebrations
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tlingit bentwood box made by steaming and bending cedar, decorated with formline designs, demonstrating extraordinary woodworking skill
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Tlingit totem poles featuring formline designs depicting clan crests, histories, and spiritual beings
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Chilkat blanket woven from mountain goat wool and cedar bark, displaying intricate formline designs requiring years to complete
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Traditional Tlingit clan house with painted formline designs on the front, housing extended families under matrilineal leadership
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rugged fjord-carved coastline of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní), traditional Tlingit homeland rich in marine resources
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tlingit ceremonial regalia including button blankets, headdresses, and clan crests worn during potlatches and cultural celebrations
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tlingit bentwood box made by steaming and bending cedar, decorated with formline designs, demonstrating extraordinary woodworking skill
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Tlingit totem poles featuring formline designs depicting clan crests, histories, and spiritual beings
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Chilkat blanket woven from mountain goat wool and cedar bark, displaying intricate formline designs requiring years to complete
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Traditional Tlingit clan house with painted formline designs on the front, housing extended families under matrilineal leadership
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rugged fjord-carved coastline of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní), traditional Tlingit homeland rich in marine resources
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tlingit ceremonial regalia including button blankets, headdresses, and clan crests worn during potlatches and cultural celebrations
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tlingit bentwood box made by steaming and bending cedar, decorated with formline designs, demonstrating extraordinary woodworking skill
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Tlingit totem poles featuring formline designs depicting clan crests, histories, and spiritual beings
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Chilkat blanket woven from mountain goat wool and cedar bark, displaying intricate formline designs requiring years to complete
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Traditional Tlingit clan house with painted formline designs on the front, housing extended families under matrilineal leadership
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rugged fjord-carved coastline of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní), traditional Tlingit homeland rich in marine resources
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tlingit ceremonial regalia including button blankets, headdresses, and clan crests worn during potlatches and cultural celebrations
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tlingit bentwood box made by steaming and bending cedar, decorated with formline designs, demonstrating extraordinary woodworking skill
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)Image Gallery
Explore visual documentation of culture, traditions, and daily life through these carefully curated images from Wikimedia Commons.
Tlingit totem poles featuring formline designs depicting clan crests, histories, and spiritual beings
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Chilkat blanket woven from mountain goat wool and cedar bark, displaying intricate formline designs requiring years to complete
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
Traditional Tlingit clan house with painted formline designs on the front, housing extended families under matrilineal leadership
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rugged fjord-carved coastline of Southeast Alaska (Lingít Aaní), traditional Tlingit homeland rich in marine resources
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tlingit ceremonial regalia including button blankets, headdresses, and clan crests worn during potlatches and cultural celebrations
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Tlingit bentwood box made by steaming and bending cedar, decorated with formline designs, demonstrating extraordinary woodworking skill
Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)