SHI's ARCHIVES & COLLECTIONS | HERITAGE FORWARD

See How Our Past Informs Our Present

Through our culture and history programs, we preserve our past, share it, and use it as a lens for viewing the future. Our collections include books, manuscripts, photographs, recordings, and ethnographical and art objects. We share what we know about Native culture, as well as exciting new things we are learning through our exhibits and lecture series. And we support continued scholarship through our research and publications and visiting scholars programs.

Sealaska Heritage Institute Collections

We collect and preserve materials that document the history, culture, heritage, and language of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people, and we make these materials available to the public for educational and research purposes. Materials collected by the institute include books, manuscript papers (such as personal diaries, correspondence, meeting minutes), photographs, recordings (such as audio and visual recordings), and ethnographical and art objects. Our collections also serve as a repository on behalf of clans and tribes for cultural objects repatriated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act for Native people of Southeast Alaska.

SHI’s collections are searchable in our online database. Our database is similar to a regular library catalog in some regards, but it is specifically designed to be user-friendly for archival research by allowing you to find materials by creator, subject, type of record, or keyword search. For more information on using the database, this video series goes over the different elements of global searching, exploring the archives directory, and exploring the art and ethnographic directory.

Once a desired item is found, please write down the details of the materials you would like to research and make an appointment to visit our facility by contacting archives staff at the email address listed below. The reading room is open to researchers Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm (closed 12-1) by appointment. Please request an appointment with 24-48 hours notice so staff can pull the requested materials from the vault. Patrons unable to visit our onsite facility should contact the Archives for information about obtaining digital reproductions or photocopies. 

Many of SHI’s holdings are available to the public for educational and research purposes. For more information, please contact our archivist at SHIArchives@sealaska.com. 

Sealaska Heritage’s William L. Paul, Sr. Archives

SHI’s Archives and Art/Ethnographic Collections are stored deep in a large, climate-controlled and protected room at our headquarters in Juneau. Our archives, named in honor of the late Tlingit lawyer and activist William L. Paul, Sr., houses 3,100 linear feet of historical and cultural material documenting the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian language, culture and history. It contains historical documents, manuscripts, personal papers, and more. It also includes 60,000 photographs and 5,000 audio and audiovisual recordings, most of which cannot be found in other libraries or archives. We also care for more than 900 art and ethnographic objects both ancient and modern. SHI also serves as a repository on behalf of clans and tribes for cultural objects repatriated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) for Native people of Southeast Alaska.

SHI’s collections are searchable in our online database. Our database is similar to a regular library catalog in some regards, but it is specifically designed to be user-friendly for archival research by allowing you to find materials by creator, subject, type of record, or keyword search. For more information on using the database, this video series goes over the different elements of global searching, exploring the archives directory, and exploring the art and ethnographic directory.

To request archival materials or ask a question, submit this form. The reading room is open to researchers Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm (closed 12-1) by appointment. Please request an appointment with 24-48 hours notice so staff can pull the requested materials from the vault.

Many of SHI’s holdings are available to the public for educational and research purposes. For more information, please contact our archivist at SHIArchives@sealaska.com. 

Our archives is named for William L. Paul, Sr., who was Alaska’s first Native attorney, the state’s first Native legislator, a gifted orator, and a formidable warrior who fought on the front line of many legal and political battles.  His achievements, however, are not as well known outside of Alaska Native circles.  Our Board of Trustees named our archives after him to honor his accomplishments and to publicly recognize him for his life’s work.

Because William Paul was one of the first to initiate formal legal and political action to resolve Native land claims in the early 1900s, and because of his extensive work on land claims from Southeast Alaska to the North Slope, he is considered the father of Alaska Native land claims. William Paul worked closely with his brother, Louis Paul, and his sons William L. Paul, Jr., and Fred Paul, who were also attorneys.  William L. Paul, Sr., died in 1977. For more on William Paul, read the resolution passed by SHI’s Board of Trustees in 2014 naming the archives for him.

Sealaska Heritage’s Library

The Sealaska Heritage library houses more than 4,500 historical and contemporary books and periodicals on Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian culture, history and language.  These books include the works of scientists and scholars in art, history, anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, and social and natural sciences, as well as historical and descriptive accounts and observations by explorers, missionaries, travelers and naturalists.  The collection includes historical and contemporary educational publications, curriculum materials and language texts and translations.  SHI houses many rare and out-of-print books, trade books and publications by university presses and museums.  While the collection focuses on the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples of Southeast Alaska, historical and contemporary publications on other peoples of the Northwest Coast in Canada and the United States are also collected and maintained.  Furthermore, the institute gathers together important publications related to salient social and cultural issues facing Alaska’s Natives and Native Americans in the continental United States.

You can search our library online. SHI’s books and archival collections are cataloged in OCLC WorldCat, the Capital Cities Library Information Center catalog, and the Anchorage Consortium library catalog.  Member libraries of the CCLIC include the Alaska State Library, University of Alaska Southeast’s Egan Library, and the three branches of the Juneau Public Libraries.  The Anchorage consortium library catalog showcases our library’s holdings to all libraries in the Anchorage area and those located outside of Anchorage via the University of Alaska Anchorage/Alaska Pacific University extension campus libraries in places like Kodiak, Kenai, and Eagle River. The library is open to researchers Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm (closed 12-1) by appointment. 

Sealaska Heritage’s Exhibits

Sealaska Heritage’s exhibits are open from 10 am-4:30 pm daily. Admission is $7. (Due to staffing shortages, cultural interpreters may not be available at all times, however the gallery is set up for self-guided tours.)

Two exhibits are currently on view:

Our Grandparents’ Names on the Land: This exhibit explores ancient place names and the innovative inventions that were used to catch halibut and salmon. It includes three sections: Native Voices on the Land; Salmon People; and Halibut, Attack the Hook! Offered on interactive platforms, all three sections offer a window into how Native people historically survived and thrived in the region, said SHI President Rosita Worl. “Indigenous people have lived in Southeast Alaska for more than 10,000 years, and during that time, our people invented ingenious tools to catch salmon and halibut and to sustain fish populations. Our people also documented important places, including subsistence areas, through names,” Worl said. “Our goal is to share this knowledge with the public and to honor the ingenuity of our ancestors”…(more) (News Story)

Native Women’s Art: Drawn From the Spirits of Ancestors Within: This exhibit features nearly 60 works by 56 artists from Alaska’s major Indigenous groups, including the Alutiiq, Athabaskan, Inupiat, Yupik, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Most of the pieces were made by contemporary artists, while a few represent old masters whose pieces exist in SHI’s ethnographic collection. Through the show, SHI is honoring the ingenuity and strength of Alaska Native women who continue to create and innovate. Their achievements continue despite centuries of colonization, oppression and unprecedented times…(more)

Sealaska Heritage’s Research and Publications

Sealaska Heritage encourages scholarship of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures. Its archive, library and ethnographic and art collections are available to the public for study. We also sponsor a Visiting Scholars Program to provide logistical support to researchers (please read our Research Policy). In addition, institute staff conducts its own research on topics pertinent to Native cultures and has published many books, including children’s books. It also publishes the Box of Knowledge series, consisting of essays, reports, and books that institute considers should be made available as a contribution to studies on Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures, history and languages. 

Box of Knowledge Series

(catalog)

Ḵáa Eetí G̱aax̱í – The Last Cry: A Review of the Southeast Alaska Native Mortuary Complex: The principle of dualism dominates Tlingit and Haida societies and is evident in the moiety system in which they are divided between Eagles and Ravens. The core cultural value of Wooch Yáx̱(social and spiritual balance) requires reciprocity between opposite moieties and clans. This reciprocity is clearly evident in the mortuary complex, with the opposite side performing various acts of ceremonial service for the grieving clan. In this paper, Sealaska Heritage President Dr. Rosita Ḵaaháni Worl provides a brief review of Tlingit memorial rites based on her own experiences and drawing on the work of other Southeast Alaska Native scholars. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2022. $10, paperback. (Buy)

Southeast Alaska Native Cultural Memorial Ceremonies Manual: Through Tlingit and Haida memorial ceremonies the loss of a clan member is acknowledged and strength and healing are offered in reciprocal speeches. These ceremonies are the principal cultural and spiritual settings in which oratory occurs. This instructional manual was developed by Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Council of Traditional Scholars and SHI President Dr. Rosita Ḵaaháni Worl to provide a guide for younger clan leaders and spokespersons. It includes an overview of traditional oratory and key components of traditional ceremonies. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2022. $10, paperback. (Buy)

The Crests of Tlingit Clans: Crests are the most important symbols of the history and identity of Tlingit clans, acquired by ancestors in the ancient past and representing crucial encounters with animal persons and spiritual beings that determine the unique identity and character of clan members. This collection of first-person narratives about how different Tlingit clans acquired specific crest designs was prepared from transcripts of oral histories, interviews, videos, and speeches given by clan leaders and clan spokespersons representing the clans whose crests are described. The purpose of the publication is to provide images of clan crests for which duplication by non-clan members is a violation of Tlingit customary laws and practices. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2022. $10, paperback. (Buy)

A Life Painted in Yarn: A Biography of Tlingit Chilkat Weaver Clara Newman Benson: This essay by Zachary Jones, Ph.D., provides the first biography of Tlingit Chilkat weaver Clara Newman Benson of Klukwan, Alaska, and attributes her artistic creations. Benson was a significant weaver of her day and prolific producer of Chilkat weavings that function as ceremonial objects within the Tlingit community. Establishing her place in Alaska’s history and art history is one goal of the study, as well as adding content to the body of scholarship on historic Alaskan women. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2022. $10, paperback. (Buy)

National Recognition of the Traditional Cultural Significance of X’unáx̱i (Indian Point): This paper brings together three essays by Dr. Rosita Worl, Dr. Thomas Thornton, and Dr. Chuck Smythe that document the historic and decades-long battle to protect Juneau’s Indian Point, near Auke Bay, Alaska, considered to be a sacred site to Native people. The saga that began in 1959 with a proposal to develop the site and culminated in 2016, when SHI prevailed in an effort to list it the National Register of Historic Places, making it the first traditional cultural property in Southeast Alaska to be placed on the register. The case offers a clear lesson that can be learned or affirmed: that we as Native Americans view the protection of our sacred sites as essential, and we will avail ourselves of every mechanism to shelter them, wrote SHI President Rosita Worl, Ph.D. “We are not apologetic that our cultural beliefs may conflict with Western values or stand in the way of progress or the construction of a new facility. Our cultural values must be interpreted and applied on their own merit and not defined or structured in the context of national laws or needs,” she wrote. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2022. $12, paperback.(Buy)

Doing Battle with the Halibut People: The Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Halibut Hook: The most comprehensive resource ever published on traditional northern Northwest Coast halibut hooks, this book delves deeply into the engineering, use, and spiritual dimensions of traditional northern Northwest Coast halibut hooks. The cultural and ecological knowledge in the book came mainly from a number of expert Tlingit fishermen and traditional scholars, who generously shared the knowledge received from their fathers and grandfathers, as well as learned through their own experiences. Those individuals included Jon Rowan, Mike Douville, Robert George, Thomas George and Webster Demmert of Klawock; Charles Jack, Thomas Jack and Ken Grant of Hoonah; David Katzeek of Juneau (formerly of Klukwan); and Ted Valle of Yakutat. Traditional scholars who participated included Clarence Jackson and Dr. Walter Soboleff. Dr. Steve Langdon, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, conducted the majority of the interviews. Written by Chuck Smythe, Ph.D., published by Sealaska Heritage in 2018, and updated in 2022. $20, paperback. (Buy) 

The Distribution of Subsistence Herring Eggs from Sitka Sound, Alaska: This book recommends major changes to the way the State of Alaska manages the sac roe herring fishery in Sitka Sound and predicts dire outcomes for the ancient subsistence herring roe fishery located there, which supports people across the state and Pacific Northwest, if things do not change. The book also touts the enormous, wide-ranging social and ecological benefits of Pacific herring from Sitka Sound and the unique Alaskan subsistence economy and ecosystem services which depend on their production and distribution. The report finds that spawning populations of herring outside of Sitka Sound have been depleted by commercial reduction and sac roe fishing and that the role of Sitka herring as a keystone subsistence resource and foundation forage fish for salmon, sea mammals and other fish and wildlife in the marine food web should be a matter of public policy concern, review and reform. Written by Tom Thornton, Ph.D. and published by Sealaska Heritage in 2019.  $20, paperback. (Buy)

Tlingit Law, American Injustice, and the Destruction of Tlingit Villages: The Tlingit had a highly developed system of law. Tlingit law is based on a group orientation, rather than the individualistic system in American law. The entire clan is responsible for any wrong-doing committed by any individual clan member. When laws were broken, and if conflicts were not resolved to restore peace, the consequence would be violence as clans protected their claims to property and demanded compensation for insults, injuries or worse. The death of a clan member, purposeful or accidental, required the offending clan to offer the life of an individual of equal status, or payment in goods in an amount acceptable to the injured clan. If the death was caused by a non-Native, the clan would seek a payment of restitution and in some cases would take the life of a non-Native as compensation. Such actions were considered legal under Tlingit law. Bombardments of the Tlingit villages of Kake, Angoon, and Wrangell resulted from such differences in legal systems.  Written by SHI President Dr. Rosita Worl, an anthropologist, who is Tlingit of the Shangukeidí clan. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2020.  $8, paperback. (Buy)

Aas Ḵwáani, People of the Trees: Ancient Ceremonial Rites: Over the course of at least 10,000 years of continuous occupation of this region, the Tlingit People developed close relationships with the environment, and accepted that everything has a spirit. They, along with the Haida and Tsimshian, developed practices and ceremonies recognizing the spiritual relationship they have with the land, including the Tree People. Tree ceremonies continue to be practiced today to ensure the sustainability of the forests and provide benefits for future generations. Written by SHI President Dr. Rosita Worl, an anthropologist, who is Tlingit of the Shangukeidí clan. Published by Sealaska Heritage in 2020.  $8, paperback. (Buy)

The Significance of Sharing Resources in Sustaining Indigenous Alaskan Communities and Cultures: Indigenous Alaskan societies have existed and flourished for more than 10,000 years, building sophisticated regional adaptations utilizing natural resources available to them. Indigenous Alaskans depended and continue to depend on annual harvests of fish, wildlife, birds, and plants for food and other uses. They developed social and cultural systems to provide for the well-being of the group and its members through various institutions and practices. Their spiritual systems were based on beliefs in the essential similarity of and interconnectedness of humans and other species that respected and sought to sustain the continuous return of the species on which they depended. As a central value and practice characteristic of all Indigenous Alaskan societies, sharing subsistence resources was and is a foundation of Indigenous life and livelihood. This paper describes and discusses the position of sharing in Indigenous Alaskan societies and identifies its significance in sustaining Indigenous Alaskan communities and maintaining Indigenous Alaskan cultures. Written by Steve Langdon, Ph.D. and published by Sealaska Heritage in 2021. $15, paperback. (PDF)

Determination of Alaska Native Status under the Marine Mammal Protection Act: The indigenous people of Alaska, known now collectively as Alaska Natives, face many complex issues in the 21st century. Some of these issues are the result of federal legislation that has defined and constrained Alaska Natives in various ways while creating institutions to address the special relationship between indigenous Alaskans and the federal government. Among the most difficult of the issues is establishing who is an Alaska Native because the term is defined differently for various purposes under federal legislation. Who is an Alaska Native, how does one know, and who decides is also critically important to establishing who is eligible to hunt marine mammals and create traditional handicrafts from marine mammal materials under the regulatory definitions of Alaska Native that have been adopted by federal agencies to implement the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA regulatory definitions emphasize 1/4 blood quantum as the primary criteria for identifying an Alaska Native. Written by Steve Langdon, Ph.D. and published by Sealaska Heritage in 2021. $15, paperback. (Buy)

Cultural Resources

Haa Léelk’w Hás Aaní Saax’ú: Our Grandparents’ Names on the Land: This landmark book documents more than 3,000 Native place names and their location in Southeast Alaska. Nearly 20 years in the making, it is the most comprehensive study of its kind. It was complied by Dr. Thomas Thornton in collaboration with hundreds of people, including area tribes and Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. The vast majority of the place names in the book are of Tlingit origin, but there are also Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, Chugach and Athabaskan names. Published by Sealaska Heritage in association with the University of Washington Press in 2012. Winner of the Alaska Historical Society’s 2012 Contributions to Alaska History Award and the Alaska LIbrary Association’s Alaskana Award. $34, paperback. (Buy)

Tlingit Oral Literature Series

Haa Shuka, Our Ancestors: Tlingit Oral Narratives, Vol. 1: Eleven classic stories by 13 elders. Includes Naatsilanei (the origin of the killer whale), The Strong Man, The Woman Who Married the Bear, Kaats’ (The Man Who Married the Bear), and two stories about the coming of the white man. Features Tlingit texts with facing English translations. Edited by Nora Marks Dauenhauer and Richard Dauenhauer (left). Vol. 1, Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, University of Washington Press, 1987, 532 pp., illustrations, notes, biographies, bibliography. “With texts and a thorough introduction to their format, oral style, and cultural context, a lengthy explanation of  Tlingit phonetics and grammar, extensive historical and linguistic notes, and brief biographies… Haa Shuká is simultaneously a work of literature, a contribution to scholarship, and an act of homage to the Tlingit elders who contributed to the project for the sake of their descendants.”  $38. Paperback. (Buy)

Haa Tuwunáagu Yís, for Healing Our Spirit, Vol. 2: Have you ever wondered what’s going on at a memorial, sometimes called “potlatch” or “party?” Haa Tuwunáagu Yís, for Healing our Spirit is a study of the process and performance of a memorial. Haa Tuwunáagu Yís is the first publication of Tlingit oratory recorded in performance. It features Tlingit texts with facing English translations and detailed annotations, photographs of the orators and the settings in which the speeches are delivered, biographies of the Elders, and a glossary. There are 32 speeches by 21 Tlingit Elders. Most were taped between 1968 and 1988, but two speeches were recorded on wax cylinders by the Harriman Expedition in Sitka in 1899, and are the oldest known sound recordings of Tlingit. Edited by Nora Marks Dauenhauer and Richard Dauenhauer (left). Vol. 2, Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, University of Washington Press, 1990, 526 pp., illustrations, bibliography. Winner of the 1991 American Book Award! $32. Paperback. (Buy)

Haa Kusteeyí, Our Culture: Tlingit Life Stories, Vol. 3: An introduction to Tlingit social and political history. The book features the biographies and life histories of more than 50 men and women, most born between 1880 and 1910, and includes a special section on the founders of the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB). The lives depicted in this volume show how individual Native people both shaped and were shaped by their time and place in history. To the fullest extent possible, oral and written material from the subjects and their families has been incorporated, so the book includes written research contributions by more than 20 people, and additional information from many friends and relatives. The appendices feature Tlingit texts with facing English translations, and previously unpublished documents, including material from the National Archives and the minutes from the historically important 1929 Haines ANB Convention, when ANB decided to pursue a land claims settlement, adopted the ANB and ANS koogéinaa and established the Executive Committee in the ANB Constitution. Edited by Nora Marks Dauenhauer and Richard Dauenhauer (left). Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, vol. 3, (University of Washington Press, 1994), 924 pp., 204 photographs, bibliography. $35. Paperback. (Buy)

Anóoshi Lingít Aaní Ká: Russians in Tlingit America, The Battles of Sitka 1802 and 1804: A major book on historic battles between the Russians and Tlingits in the early 19th century. This is the 4th volume in the award-winning series, Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature, edited by Nora Marks Dauenhauer, Richard Dauenhauer. The book explores an era from the 1790s through 1818 when Russians expanded into Southeast Alaska to take control of the Northwest Coast fur trade. The Tlingit people resisted the incursion into their ancestral homeland and events culminated in two historic battles between the Russians and Tlingits in 1802 and 1804. At the heart of the book are never-before published recordings by the National Park Service of Tlingit elders telling oral histories of the battles. The recordings were made in the 1950s by Kiks.ádi elder Sally Hopkins and Kaagwaantaan elder Alex Andrews, who was a child of the Kiks.ádi. The book was conceived in the 1980s when Kiks.ádi elders asked the Dauenhauers to transcribe, translate, and publish the tapes, and the Sealaska Heritage Board approved the project. The Dauenhauers were able to compare the recordings to eye-witness accounts by Russians translated into English by Lydia Black, a scholar who worked on the book until her death in 2007. Published by Sealaska Heritage Institute in association with the University of Washington Press. Winner of the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. $60, Hardcover. $35, Paperback. (Buy)  

Sealaska Heritage’s Visiting Scholars

SHI sponsors a Visiting Scholar Program for graduate students enrolled into an accredited educational institution and post-graduate researchers or professors engaged in research that advances knowledge of Tlingit, Haida or Tsimshian culture, language, arts, or history. We provide visiting scholars with logistical support, access to our library, archival collections, and ethnographic collections, and the support of our staff for the scholar’s research. In some cases, we may provide an honorarium and support toward a book publication.

Scholars who participate are required to adhere to traditional protocols and laws in respecting clan ownership and clan attribution. Scholars will be required to provide a gratis copy of their final research paper, dissertation, or publication, as well as provide one public lecture at Sealaska Heritage or in Southeast Alaska on their research.

For further information, please contact our senior ethnologist at chuck.smythe@sealaska.com

Between 2002 and 2018, SHI has hosted 18 Visiting Scholars and contributed to 8 Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses, 12 scholarly publications (books and papers), and one research report. Scholars were evenly divided between American and international universities: 9 from the U.S. and 9 from international institutions.

Visiting Scholars Report 2018

Sealaska Heritage Visiting Scholars Jessica Barker and Caitlin Stern in January 2018 published their report on Alaska Native Identity. A number of Alaska Natives participated.

Jessica and Caitlin also gave a lecture on their research while at SHI. (Watch the Video)

Sealaska Heritage’s Indigenous Intellectual Properties

Sealaska Heritage seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding, and one of the issues that arises time and again is cultural appropriation. SHI offers the following educational materials to help people understand Tlingit property laws.

• Lecture: Tlingit Property Law and Cultural Appropriation by SHI President Rosita Worl
  In the presentation, Sealaska Heritage Institute President Dr. Rosita Worl highlights SHI’s goal of promoting cross-cultural understanding and how it applies to teaching Northwest Coast art. “This goal implies an ideal of symmetrical power between the Native and non-Native society in which an Indigenous society acknowledges a right to teach non-Natives about Native culture and Northwest Coast art.” 
• Blog: Q & A with Rosita Worl: When is it okay to use Northwest Coast formline designs and crests?
  This blog post stems from the many requests we get from individuals and entities that want to incorporate Northwest Coast designs and traditions into flyers, logos, pieces for sale and other materials.
• Lecture: Indigenous Issues in Native Handicrafts and Intellectual Property by Jacob Adams, LLB LLM LLM​
  In the first of two talks, Jacob Adams introduces his work in the area of indigenous intellectual property rights. Through his research, Adams, who is also a practicing attorney with law degrees from universities in Australia and the United States, is examining alternative means to protect indigenous intellectual property using trademark law, with a focus on Northwest Coast culture and art.
• Lecture: The Fertile Environment for Legal Protections of Native Alaskan Handicraft Heritage by Jacob Adams, LLB LLM LLM​ 
  In the second of two talks, Jacob Adams discusses early findings from his field research, through which he examined alternative means to protect indigenous intellectual property using trademark law, with a focus on Northwest Coast culture and art.​
• People’s Handiwork—kaa ji.eetí: The world loves the artistry—the handiwork—of Native Alaskans. But how can we show that love without understanding where it came from and what it means? This video introduces students and the public to the history and values of Native Alaskan art, contrasts in western and Alaskan laws, and discusses how to show respect for this treasure of heritage and culture

Sealaska Heritage’s Volunteers

SHI could not succeed without the help of its volunteers! If you are interested in supporting SHI as a volunteer, please fill out our application.

Sealaska Heritage’s Archival Database

Check out our online database. Here you can access finding aids that describe manuscript, photograph, and recording collections that are stored in our archives as well as all of the art/ethnographic objects. Learn more about setting up a reference appointment to view any of these materials, contact our archivist at SHIArchives@sealaska.com. 

Tlingit Clan Registry

Sealaska Heritage Institute established the first-ever registry of Tlingit clan crests — the most important symbols of the history and identity of Tlingit people. There are many Tlingit clans and crests, and SHI will continue to raise funds to document additional clans and crests. Furthermore, most clans have more than one crest, and the registry will also be expanded to include as many crests as can be documented. 

Stolen At.óow and Regalia

Clans sometimes unfortunately have to grapple with theft of their at.óowu and regalia. Because of this, Sealaska Heritage has compiled guidelines and resources for protecting clan at.óowu as a service. (Resources for Recovering Stolen At.oow and Regalia)

Genealogy Research

We encourage the study of Alaska Native genealogy and clan history and receive numerous requests from people who want to learn about their ancestors and clan membership. The information below is designed to serve as a basic guide and to assist those interested in discovering more about their ancestors and clan heritage. We suggest researchers also seek genealogical and clan information from family, clan leaders, and other clan members. Southeast Alaska Natives trace their clan membership through the maternal line. 

How to Conduct Basic Genealogy and Family History

1.   Identify what you know about your ancestors

You have probably seen photos or heard stories about your ancestors or concerning your clan’s history. Use this information as a starting point. Talk to relatives, clan leaders, and people who may recollect information about the family and clan or those who have family records in their possession documenting your family and clan history. Collect and compile all this information as a starting point. 

2.   Decide what you want to learn

After you have learned all you can from family and clan members, you will next need to decide what you desire to know. Some people interested in genealogy often desire to create pedigree charts, such as a family tree showing a family line going back generations. This is largely a matter of collecting names, and birth, marriage, and death dates. Others are interested in stories about family and the lives of their ancestors, as well as clan history. If not learned about from family members and clan leaders, information of this nature will often be found in published works held in libraries or in unpublished records kept at archival repositories.  

3.   Select which records to search

Your questions will be answered more fully if you choose the right records to research. If you want to know when a person passed away, search newspaper obituaries, cemetery records, death certificates, and other similar documents to determine this information. If you want to know about clan history visit libraries and archives and inquire about rare publications, Alaska Native periodicals, or audio recordings. To obtain access to these records you will need to determine what entity keeps these records, whether library, archive, city office, or other. 

4.   Obtain and search the record

Contact the research entity that may have the records you desire to view. Examine their website for tips on how to find the resources you need. Plan your visit and search the records for pertinent information. Take notes and understand that conducting genealogy and researching clan history takes time and effort, but it can be very rewarding.

Sources for additional introductory genealogical research

• Starting Genealogy and Family History Research (National Archives)
• Research Outline: Indians of the United States and Canada (FamilySearch.org)
• A Guide to Genealogy and Family History Research

Researching and Sources of Interest

It is important to understand the nature of the records you will be working with and the rules governing their use at archival repositories or libraries. Most archival repositories will not let you check out archival materials, but in most cases photocopies of records can be generated for a fee. Libraries and archives will generally have resources that assist you in searching their numerous collections, such as finding aids (descriptive inventories) for archival collections. 

It is also important to know the history of the organization or state where you will be researching. For example, Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867, it became a U.S. Territory in 1912 and a state in 1959. Most U.S. records will not start until at least 1867. Jurisdictional Districts in Alaska were created between 1897 and 1901, the first territorial censuses for Alaska were taken in 1870 and 1880, and the first federal census was taken in 1900. According to privacy laws, census records are only available to the public 70 years after they were taken. Thus as of 2010, available census records for Alaska are for the years of 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940. 

For researches interested in information on Alaska Native birth, death, and marriage records, in some instances these can be found at the Alaska State Archives, which contains official state records of Alaska. This repository also stores historic church, school, court, and other state records of interest to genealogists. Overall, the Alaska State Archives has a large and impressive collection of records and it is best to visit the archive in person to inquire about their collection holdings. The Alaska State Archives does, however, host a website specifically tailored to assist genealogists with research, which can be found by clicking here. 

The Alaska State Library seeks to collect materials that document all aspects of Alaska life, and the library is a great place for genealogical resources. The library contains runs of all Alaska newspapers, most in microfilm format, which can be viewed by the public. This includes some rare Southeast Alaska Native periodicals, such as the Voice of Brotherhood, The Tlingit Herald, The Thlinget, and others. In some cases books about Alaska and certain Alaska towns will contain information of great value to genealogy researchers. A record of all books available in the United States can be found at worldcat.org and if the local libraries do not own a specific book you desire, books can often be loaned to you though a local library (referred to as an Inter-Library Loan). The library also maintains a webpage to assist those conducting genealogical research, which can be viewed by clicking here.  

The Alaska State Library’s Historical Collections Division seeks to collect materials that document all aspects of Alaskan life, but this department specifically stores the library’s rare books and archival collections. They may have collections of interest about specific Alaska Native individuals, such as in the Tlingit Indian Genealogy Notes and Information Collection, or the AJ Mine Personnel Index which includes the ethnicity, age, birth place, and parents or spouse of a person working in the mine. Information about visiting the Historical Collections Division can be found by clicking here. 

The Sealaska Heritage Institute seeks to collect materials that document the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people. We have some collections on specific individuals that may concern a family member or their role in a specific event or organization, such as the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood, as well as records documenting the land claims struggle which are found in our Curry-Weissbrodt Records Collection. We also have certain Southeast Alaska Native newspaper runs, including Voice of Brotherhood, The Thlinget, Yahkii, and Haa koosteeyee aye¡, as well as books on Southeast Alaska Native history and life. Contact us to inquire about researching at our facility, and about donating genealogical resources to our library. 

Sources for Additional Study on Southeast Alaska Native Genealogy

In addition to the above, there are many places where researchers can look to find genealogical information. Some of these are listed below. 

1.   Kim Lea’s Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Genealogy

This genealogy contains the most comprehensive collection of genealogical information on Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people. It has been compiled by Kim Lea and is regularly updated. Researchers can search for individuals alphabetically by surname or by keyword. This resource is only available in the reading room for in-person reference use. To see this resource, contact our archivist at SHIArchives@sealaska.com. 

2.   Alaska Land Records: Recorder’s Office

With these records it is possible to locate, research, and verify land ownership; users can search by name and date.

4.   Family Search

This is a free genealogy cite, with some indexed Alaska names.

Credits: Compiled for Sealaska Heritage Institute summer 2009 by intern Whitney Schaeler.