Yán - Western Hemlock - Glacier Bay Ethnobotany

Can you spot the difference between hemlock and spruce by comparing their needles or bark?

NPS Photo / S. Tevebaugh

Yán
Western Hemlock

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The Tlingit have many uses for Yán. They use the bark to tan seal and deer hides and carve spoons, dip-net poles, spear shafts, and halibut hooks from the wood. The inner bark is a treasured sweet dessert. In early spring, hemlock branches are submerged in spawning locations to provide a structure for herring to lay their eggs, a Tlingit delicacy.