Life in a Tlingit society

This project will provide information, told in the Tlingit language and English by the author, about her ancestors, and her upbringing and life in the Inland Tlingit community of Teslin which is located in the Southern Yukon Territory, as she continued to speak, teach, and translate her language. The population is approximately 450 to 500 citizens, consisting mainly of Inland Tlingit Nation. The Inland Tlingit people of Teslin, Carcross and Atlin in northern BC are closely related in culture and language to the Coastal Tlingit people of southeast Alaska. Tlingit is considered an endangered language with only a small number of birth speakers remaining, but efforts are being made to revive it. The write-up of this project also contains the original names of the area and the personal names of the Jackson family, and a brief account of the history of the Teslin area connected to the history of the Jackson family. Historical photographs of the Jackson family (minus five of its' members, three due to early deaths and two are absent), places of residence and landmarks connected to stories and placenames. Many of the elders who were speakers and teachers of the language have since passed away but some of their younger relatives are now involved in learning the language and some are teaching it in schools and using it at home. An explanation of the Coastal and Inland Tlingit orthographies and examples of how Tlingit maps out knowledge are also provided. This written project is accompanied by a 70 min. video file of the author's telling of her life, community and family in Tlingit, and providing her own translation in English.