The Tlingit People

The Tlingit people are American Indians that live in the southeast region in Alaska. These people range all the way from southern Alaska to Portland Canal, they live the Northwest Culture type and are very close to the Haida's and Tsimshinian. The tlingit is wide spread there are some Tlingit speakers in British Columbia these speakers are refered to as "gunana" which means foreigners according to the to the Tlingits that live on the coast. These Tlingits that live on the coast live of the land through hunting, fishing and community gatherings. The animals that the Tlingits ate consisted of seals and fish like halibut, salmon, and herring were caught with hooks, basketry traps, and spears. The life of the Tlingits change drastically after the 1836 small pox epidemic, the population was estimated around 6,000 post this epidemic. The sub-group that was affected the most were the Tonga's who had almost 1,000 members but after the small pox outbreak the group shrunk down to a total population of 173 people in the group. These days the Tlingit nation is holding there own and are trying to keep the tradition.