The Tlingit: A Matrilineal Society
The Tlingit are a matrilineal society that occupy the Pacific Northwest Coast of the United States. Historically, the Tlingit developed in the mild and rainy coastal beach heads of southeast Alaska, near the present day capital of Juneau. This area is home to various types of berries, ranging from strawberries and cranberries to the more exotic salmonberry and soapberry. It is also home to various species of animals, including brown bears, several species of salmon, and other maritime creatures. Naturally, with such abundant wildlife, Tlingit society developed around these and made them an integral part of their culture. The film A Time of Gathering devotes a section to Tlingit berry picking in Glacier Bay, which was historically one of the
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Despite this splitting into factions (even within kwaans), the Tlingit share a common language and culture. As was mentioned above, Tlingit society revolved around matrilineal descent (quite in contrast to patrilineal societies). Things such as territorial and ceremonial rights, oral histories, personal effects, and names were passed down/inherited through mothers. Presiding above all were the two main moieties (parts/subdivisions) of Tlingit culture: the Raven clan and the Eagle (Wolf) clan. Intermarriage between these two clans was fairly common, and thus one can immediately see how tightly bound these two groups were despite engaging in territorial conflicts and small wars. Separating them into “factions” or “clans” makes them seem like they were bitter enemies, but it seems that they were more like two halves of a family. It was because of this shared experience, both physical and familiar, that Tom Thornton recruited an equal number of representatives from both clans. These two groups felt such familiarity with the geography and resources present in Glacier Bay because of shared cultural experiences. This is further reinforced by the fact that in the case of surplus resources, the group that owned the land gave permission to others to use it as well. As Professor Kan puts it, “once the season was open, any person could hunt, fish, pick berries, and collect shellfish anywhere, as long as he or she appealed to the leaders of the owning clan” (Kan
Despite this splitting into factions (even within kwaans), the Tlingit share a common language and culture. As was mentioned above, Tlingit society revolved around matrilineal descent (quite in contrast to patrilineal societies). Things such as territorial and ceremonial rights, oral histories, personal effects, and names were passed down/inherited through mothers. Presiding above all were the two main moieties (parts/subdivisions) of Tlingit culture: the Raven clan and the Eagle (Wolf) clan. Intermarriage between these two clans was fairly common, and thus one can immediately see how tightly bound these two groups were despite engaging in territorial conflicts and small wars. Separating them into “factions” or “clans” makes them seem like they were bitter enemies, but it seems that they were more like two halves of a family. It was because of this shared experience, both physical and familiar, that Tom Thornton recruited an equal number of representatives from both clans. These two groups felt such familiarity with the geography and resources present in Glacier Bay because of shared cultural experiences. This is further reinforced by the fact that in the case of surplus resources, the group that owned the land gave permission to others to use it as well. As Professor Kan puts it, “once the season was open, any person could hunt, fish, pick berries, and collect shellfish anywhere, as long as he or she appealed to the leaders of the owning clan” (Kan