The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is a federally recognized Tlingit Alaska Native tribal entity.[1][2] Other federally recognized tribes with members of Tlingit heritage include the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes, the Douglas Indian Association, Skagway Village, the Organized Village of Kake, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and the Wrangell Cooperative Association.
| People | Tlingit |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Yakutat, Alaska, US |
| Government | |
| Chief | John Buller |
| Tribal Council | |
| Yakutat Tribal Council | |
| Website | |
| https://yakutattlingittribe.org/ | |
About
editThe Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is headquartered in the borough of Yakutat. As of 2005, the tribe had 385 enrolled citizens.[3] The word "Yakutat" comes from the Tlingit word "Yaakwdáat", which means "where canoes rest". The Yakutat Tlingit maintain aspects of traditional Tlingit culture with influences from the Eyak people.[4]
Culture
editThe Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan displays some Yakutat Tlingit musical instruments, including a guitar[5] and several lutes.[6][7][8]
History
editThe Yakutat Tlingit have historically occupied the southern portion of what is now the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve near Icy Bay and Disenchantment Bay, the community of Yakutat, and the Malaspina Glacier and Forelands. The National Park Service has conducted ethnographic research detailing Yakutat Tlingit connections to Wrangell–St. Elias.[9]
In the 21st century, the remains of eight Native American bodies have been repatriated to Kaguyak Village; six from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and one each from Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Two remains and 50 funerary objects of interest to the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe have not been repatriated; the two remains are held by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.[10]
In 2023, the AgWest Farm Credit Services bank based in Spokane, Washington, sued the Alaska Native corporation based in Yakutat, Yak-Tat Kwaan Inc., seeking the repayment of $13.3 million in loans. The lawsuit has caused concerns in the tribe over the loss of their traditional lands.[11]
Notable citizens
edit- Elaine Abraham, tribal elder and registered nurse.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Federal Register. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Yakutat". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Alaska Native Villages" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Yaakwdáat (Yakutat)". MeSealaska.com. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "European Double Guitar". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "Lute". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "Lute". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "Lute". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "Yakutat Tlingit Ethnographic Study". National Park Service. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Yakutat Tligit Tribe". ProPublica. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ "Yakutat tribal leader fears loss of land as bank sues Southeast Alaska village corporation for $13.3 million". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
- ^ Dunham, Mike (May 18, 2016). "Elaine Abraham, ground-breaking Tlingit elder, dead at 87." Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved 2024-06-01.