Day 33 – Klukwan - “Eternal Village”

One of the things that interest us as we travel is to learn about the native cultures of the past and present. Driving south from Kluane Lake, through Haines Junction, and then on to Haines we learned more about the Tlingit culture of the coastal southwest Canada.

The visitor center at Haines Junction had a wonderful display of regalia traditionally worn by the members of the Southern Tutchone people. We talked with wood carver, Jay, who told us more about the traditions of his people. In contrast to the coastal tribes of western Washington, the Southern Tutchone have just two clans, the Crow Clan and the Wolf Clan. Traditionally, if you were born into one clan then you married into the other clan. There are close ties between the two clans and they rely upon each other for many tasks.

 Jay showed us the canoe that he and one other tribal member carved. He described how it took two years to finish the boat and then a winter to paint it. So far, he said it has been on a lake voyage, but there are plans to get it out on the ocean it was designed for. When we asked about the design on it, he said it reflected the flowers and berries of harvest and that it was a healing canoe with ceremonies that accompanied its creation. Jay also spoke about the influence of both the Tlingit and the Athabaskan cultures into that of the Southern Tutchone.

After arriving in Haines, we went to the Jilkaat Kwaan Center to learn more about the Tlingit culture. This was an amazing exhibit with beautifully crafted displays. There were many displays of items several hundred years old. Our guide, David, described how his father had been instrumental in recovering some items from the Frog Clan that had been sold without tribal permission. David also shared the connections between partner clans and how they took responsibility for each other.

Another display showed the process of creating a Chilcoot Blanket. They are used for ceremonies and are often created and gifted to someone for a special purpose. Some of the blankets can take years to weave and the women who weave the blankets are revered among their people.

The center was given the name Klukwan, meaning “Eternal Village”, by other tribes because of their efforts to maintain and rebuild their cultural heritage.

The fast-paced modern world often overlooks the importance of cultural traditions in the effort to achieve an end quickly. For example, David told us about two visitors who came to the heritage center that day, bought two T-shirts, and left without even looking at the exhibits. Did they understand anything about the culture the design on the shirt represented? This made me sad because there was so much rich history and artistry in the Klukwan.

If you get a chance to visit one of these centers and talk to members of the tribe, we highly recommend listening with patience for their story to unfold. There are valuable lessons we can learn from the past.