Haines, Klukwan to host Tlingit Tribes and Clans
March 10, 1993
Ed Hotch is President of Klukwan Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) Camp #8. He will serve as Evening Program committee chair for the Conference of Tlingit Tribes and Clans scheduled for May 5-8, 1993. The conference will take place in Haines and Klukwan. Ed is a member of the Klukwan Thunderbird clan of the Wolf moiety. Like all other conference planning committee members, Ed is an unpaid volunteer. Ed will be assisted by Lani Hotch, a member of the Kaagwaantaan clan of the Wolf moiety. Lani is also a member of the Chilkat Indian Village.
The conference planning committee met recently in Juneau. Representatives from Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Klukwan roughed out scheduling for the conference and appointed working groups and committees.
Among the committees formed were the Invitations committee (chaired by Irene Jimmy of the Kiks.adi clan of the Raven moiety of Sitka), the Housing committee, the Meals committee, the Daytime program committee (chaired by yours truly, a member of the Sik’nax.adi clan of the Wolf moiety), the Evening program committee and the Publicity committee.
From the outset, the conference has been structured to function without a large budget. I felt that if the project was dependent on large grants it would never happen. Fortunately or not, I was correct in this approach, since large grants did not materialize.
The conference planning committee has proven that projects like this can happen with volunteer labor and small in-kind and cash contributions. Conference daytime sessions will take place in Haines on May 5 and 8 at the Haines ANB Camp #5 Hall. Daytime sessions will take place in Klukwan on May 6 and 7 at the Klukwan Camp #8 ANB Hall and the Klukwan Camp #8 Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) Hall.
The Klukwan ANS Hall is the only one of its kind in the world. It reflects the proud ANS tradition of this community. Evelyn Hotch is ANS Camp #8 President. She also serves on the conference planning committee.
Morning sessions will consist of formal, scholarly presentations and panels. Morning sessions will run from 9: 30 to noon each day. A partial list of presenters was included in a previous column. Afternoon sessions will consist of workshops and will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The workshops will be facilitated by the presenters listed in my February column. Workshop sessions will run concurrently and will be repeated to allow participants to attend as many different sessions as possible.
Two workshops will run each of the four days of the conference: Tlingit Personal and Place Names, and Developing Resource Atlases. Other workshop topics will include archival strategies, documentation strategies, migration traditions, repatriation issues, developing clan trusts and developing a tribal college.
Evening programs will begin at 8 p.m. and will take place at the Chilkat Center in Haines. Evening programs will include dance performances, traditional ceremonies and poetry readings.
A number of Canadian tribal and clan representatives been contacted and have informed conference organizers of tentative plans to participate.
The Champagne Aishishik Band Council is a Southern Tutchone Athabascan tribe headquartered in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory. There are two clans affiliated with the band. The Carcross Tagish First Nation Council is a Tagish Athabascan tribe headquartered in Carcross, Yukon Territory. There are two clans affiliated with this tribe, one from the Wolf moiety and one from the Raven moiety.
The Tahltan Band Council is a Tahltan Athabascan tribe headquartered in Telegraph Creek British Columbia. There are three Wolf moiety clans and one Raven moiety clan affiliated with this tribe. Dempsey Bob of Prince Rupert is a member of this tribe. Dempsey is an internationally renowned artist. He traces his Tlingit relatives to the Taku River Yaneyeidi Wolf moiety clan.
The Kwakwa’kawakw (Kwakuitl) tribe is located in Port Hardy, British Columbia. Christine Hunt, editor of the Kwakwa’kawakw tribal newsletter and daughter of tribal chief Tony Hunt, anticipates a party of at least ten tribal members will travel from Port Hardy to Haines and Klukwan. Christine and her father also have Tlingit roots that trace back to the Teikweidi Wolf moiety clan of the Tongass Tribe of Ketchikan.
The Taku River Tlingit First Nation is headquartered in Atlin, British Columbia. Malvin Jack currently serves as spokesman for the tribe, which has 365 members. There are five clans affiliated with the Taku River Tlingit: The Yanyeidi and Dakl’aweidi of the Wolf moiety, and the Deisheetaan, Ishkihitta and Kookhittaan of the Raven moiety.
The Teslin Tlingit Council is headquartered in Teslin, Yukon Territory. There are five clans affiliated with the Teslin Tlingit (the same as those listed for the Taku River Tlingit above). The tribe has approximately 1000 members.
Bessie Cooley, a member of the Kookhittaan Raven moiety clan of Teslin and a staff worker with Aboriginal Language Service of the Yukon, serves on the conference planning committee. Bessie wiII attend the conference with representatives from each of the Teslin clans, David Keenan (the tribal
The Alaska Marine Highway schedule between Juneau and Haines coincides nicely with the conference schedule, with a northbound ferry on May 4 and a southbound ferry on the evening of May 9. For more information on the conference, contact Gerry Hope at 225-7391.
Andy Hope is president of the ‘Before Columbus Foundation: a nation-wide group organized in 1976 to promote and disseminate American multi-cultural literature.