People of the Tides

Duration:

3 minutes, 44 seconds

The Tlingit canoe, or yaakw, was historically the primary mode of transportation for clans living along the Southeast Alaska shoreline. Today, it remains a crucial component of Tlingit culture.

Photo by Ian Johnson

Paddling Back to Homeland

For the Tlingit, canoes or yaakw were the primary mode of transportation, carrying warriors to battle, hunters to areas of abundance, and families to distant villages during the fall visiting season. Crafted of cedar or spruce, they were works of art as well as utilitarian items. A community with many canoes was a wealthy community.

The Hoonah Indian Association commissioned the carving of 2, 40-foot spruce dugout canoes to be used in the 2016 Tribal House dedication ceremony held in Glacier Bay National Park Tlingit master carver, Wayne Price led the carving effort assisted by apprentices James Hart and Zach James. Many Hoonah community members joined in to assist with carving, steaming, and preparing the canoe.

One might think that a person riding in a traditional canoe would be called a “paddler,” but instead, they are termed “pullers” as they literally pull the heavy, 2,000 pound (1-ton) canoe through the often rough waters of Southeast Alaska. Every puller who joined in the two-day journey from Hoonah to dedicate the Tribal House in Glacier Bay was required to carve their own paddle, or axáa, and participate in safety training.

Traditional Tlingit canoes are made from spruce, although some clans used cedar because it is lighter. A perfectly shaped paddle will move easily and soundlessly through the water, traits important when heading off to war – or to hunt wary seals. Tlingit paddles almost always include a v-shaped notch by the handle and taper slowly from thick to thin towards the blade’s end. Form line designs announce the bearers clan or moiety.