Read more
Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons, U.S.N., was stationed in Alaska during the 1880s and 1890s, a time when the Navy was largely responsible for law and stability in the Territory. His duties brought him close contact with the Tlingit Indians, whose respect he won and from whom he gained an understanding of and respect for their culture. He became a friend of many Tlingit leaders, visited their homes, traveled in their canoes when on leave, purchased native artifacts, and recorded native traditions. He was widely recognized for his extensive collections of Tlingit artifacts and art, and for the detailed notes that accompanied them.
List of contents
Abbreviations
Preface: Editing
The Tlingit IndiansTransliteration of Tlingit
Acknowledgments
Editor's Introduction: George Thornton Emmons as Ethnographer
A Biography by Jean Low: Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons, USN, 1852-1945
THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE
Physical Features of Tlingit Territory
Climate
Flora and Fauna
The Tlingit
Name
Origin of the Tlingit
Physical Appearance
Character
Health and Disease
Population
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
Introduction
Tlingit Tribes
Phratry or Moiety
Clan
House and Household
Kinship
Crests
Display of the Crest
Painting of the Face
Names
Social Classes
Chiefs
Authority of Chiefs
Slaves
Law
Trade
VILLAGES, HOUSES, FORTS, AND OTHER WORKS
Villages
Houses
Domestic Life
Other Houses and Shelters
Forts
Petroglyphs
Stone Cairns
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION
Canoes
Manufacture and Repair of Canoes
Appurtenances of the Canoe
Handling the Canoe
Snowshoes
Bags, Packs, Boxes and Sleds
FISHING AND HUNTING
Introduction
Religious Aspects of the Food Quest
Salmon Fishing
Halibut Fishing
Herring Fishing
Eulachon Fishing
Trout Fishing
Other Fish and Marine Invertebrates
Seal Hunting
Porpoise, Sea Lion, and Whale
Sea Otter Hunting
Land Animal Hunting: Aboriginal Weapons
Firearms
Land Animal Hunting: Traps and Snares
Bird Hunting
Hunting Dogs
FOOD AND ITS PREPARATION
Introduction
Salmon
Halibut
Herring and Eulachon
Other Fish and Shellfish
Land Animals
Sea Mammals
Birds
Berries and Other Plant Foods
Tobacco
Drink
Fire Making
Domestic Utensils
ARTS AND INDUSTRIES: MEN'S WORKS
Division of Labor
Work in Stone
"Jade"
Men's Tools
Work in Horn, Ivory, Shell, and Inlays
Work in Copper
Copper Neck Rings
"Coppers"
Work in Iron
Work in Silver and Gold
Work in Wood
Measurements
Totem Poles
Painting
Art
ARTS AND INDUSTRIES: WOMEN'S WORK
Skin Dressing
Sinew and Intestines
Basketry
Spruce Root Hats
Basketry Designs
Spruce Root Mats
Cedar Bark Weaving
The Chilkat Blanket
DRESS AND DECORATION
Personal Cleanliness
Clothing
Hair Dressing
Ear and Nose Ornaments
Labrets
Bracelets and Necklaces
Face Painting
Tattooing
THE LIFE CYCLE
Birth
Infancy and Childhood
Naming
Girl's Puberty
Marriage
Death
Cremation
Ceremonies after the Funeral
Shaman's Graves
Various Other Forms of Disposal of the Dead
Recent Graveyards
Inheritance of Property
Afterlife, Spirits, Souls, Reincarnation
CEREMONIES
Music and Dance
Tlingit Ceremonialism in the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries
House-Building Ceremonies
Dedication of the House and Raising a Totem Pole
Dick Sa-tan's Potlatch, 1891
A Major Potlatch
Ceremony for the Children
The Berry Potlatch Dance
WAR AND PEACE
Early Encounters with Europeans
Interclan Warfare
Encounters with Americans
Aboriginal Warfare
Aboriginal Arms and Armor
Arms, Armor, and Tactics, Described by the Early Explorers
Making Peace
Early Accounts of Peace Ceremonies
Peace Ceremonies in 1891 and 1877
ILLNESS AND MEDICINE
Diagnosis of Illness
Cures for External Ailments
Medicines for internal Use
Other "Medicines"
Omens and Amulets
SHAMANISM
Spirits
The Shaman
Becoming a Shaman
The Shaman's Outfit
The Shaman's practice
Stories about Shamans
Death of a Shaman
WITCHCRAFT
The Origin of Witches
Shaman and Witch
Witches, Shamans, and the Authorities
GAMES AND GAMBLING
The Stick Game
The Toggle (or Hand) Game
The Dice Game
Spinner
Gambling in the Russian Era
TIME, TIDES, AND WINDS
Count
Time: Seasons and Days
"Moons" of the Year
Tides
Winds
Tables
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Frederica de Laguna , professor emeritus of anthropology at Bryn Mawr College, is the author of the three-volume
Under Mount Saint Elias (on the Tlingit of Yakutat) and numerous other works on Alaska archaeology and ethnography.
Summary
Lieutenant Emmons, United States Navy, was stationed in Alaska during the 1880s and 1890s. His duties brought him into close contact with the Tlingit Indians. In addition to an interest in native manufacturing, he recorded all aspects of the culture, together with the Tlingit terms.
