The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is a federally recognized

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numbe ...

tribal entity. Other federally recognized tribes with members of Tlingit heritage include the

Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

, the Douglas Indian Association, Skagway Village, the Organized Village of Kake, the

Sitka Tribe of Alaska The Sitka Tribe of Alaska is the federally recognized tribal government for more than 4,000 federally recognized Native people, mostly Alaska Natives from Southeast Alaska, living in or near Sitka in the U.S. state of Alaska Alaska ( ; ...

, and the Wrangell Cooperative Association.

About

The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is headquartered in the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

of Yakutat. As of 2005, the tribe had 385 enrolled citizens. The word "Yakutat" comes from the

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

word "Yaakwdáat", which means "where canoes rest". The Yakutat Tlingit maintain aspects of traditional Tlingit culture with influences from the

Eyak The Eyak ( Eyak: ʔi·ya·ɢdəlahɢəyu·, literally "inhabitants of Eyak Village at Mile 6"Krauss, Michael E. 1970. ''Eyak dictionary''. University of Alaska and Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1963-1970) are a Native American indigenous ...

people.

Culture

The

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

in Manhattan displays some Yakutat Tlingit musical instruments, including a guitar and several lutes.

History

The Yakutat Tlingit have historically occupied the southern portion of what is now the

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is an American national park and preserve managed by the National Park Service in south central Alaska. The park and preserve were established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conser ...

near

Icy Bay Icy Bay (Tlingit: ''Lig̲aasi Áa'') is a body of water in the borough of Yakutat, Alaska, formed in the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers. It is part of the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness. At the ...

and

Disenchantment Bay Disenchantment Bay extends southwest for from the mouth of Russell Fiord to Point Latouche, at the head of Yakutat Bay in Alaska. Named "Puerto del Desengano", Spanish for "bay of disenchantment", by Alessandro Malaspina in 1792, upon finding ...

, the community of Yakutat, and the

Malaspina Glacier __NOTOC__ The Malaspina Glacier (Lingít: ''Sít' Tlein'') in southeastern Alaska is the largest piedmont glacier in the world. Situated at the head of the Alaska Panhandle, it is about wide and long, with an area of some . Name The Lingít na ...

and Forelands. The

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

has conducted ethnographic research detailing Yakutat Tlingit connections to Wrangell–St. Elias. In the 21st century, the remains of eight Native American bodies have been

repatriated Repatriation is the process of returning a thing or a person to its country of origin or citizenship. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as to the pro ...

to Kaguyak Village; six from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and one each from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

and the

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology—commonly known as the Penn Museum—is an archaeology and anthropology museum at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located on Penn's campus in the University City neighb ...

. 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 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

. 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.

Notable citizens

* Elaine Abraham, tribal elder and registered nurse.Dunham, Mike (May 18, 2016).
Elaine Abraham, ground-breaking Tlingit elder, dead at 87
" ''Alaska Dispatch News''. Retrieved 2024-06-01.

References

{{reflist

External links

List of Federally Recognized Tribes in the Seaalaska Region
ANCSA Regional Association
Under Mount Saint Elias: The History and Culture of the Yakutat Tlingit: Part One

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is an institutional archives and library system comprising 21 branch libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers. The Libraries and Archives serve Smithsonian Institution ...