Warrior Fighting Dagger

The blade is made from a steel file that could have been acquired from a Russian or Spanish merchant ship. The file has been altered with hand-forged “blood groove” fluting and a domed pommel. The grooves are filled with red ochre. The dagger is thought to be from the Tlingit tribe off the coast of Alaska.

The Tlingit people had three tiers of kinship structure in their traditional civilization. Each person belonged to one of the two moieties, the biggest kin groups. Every moiety consisted of multiple clans, each clan's members attributing their genesis to a shared mythical progenitor. The lineage, an extended family group related by maternal descent, was the most fundamental and significant organizational level. Every lineage had its leaders, could perform rites, owned a certain region, and was politically independent. This allowed them to be almost self-sufficient. During a war, lineages would unite and designate a temporary leader for that reason, but there was no obligation to join such alliances. However, there was rarely a leader or authority over the entire tribe. Before contact with Europeans, each lineage most likely had its village, but during the historic period, there was a tendency for two or more lineages to combine into united villages.

Fishing provided most of the sustenance for the Tlingit people in their traditional way of life. The Tlingit also pursued terrestrial and occasionally marine creatures. The main material utilized in manufacturing was wood, which was used to make canoes, plates, utensils, remembrance (totem) poles, and other items. Huge, permanent homes were constructed close to safe canoe landing spots and productive fishing areas, frequently on the shores of bays protected from the tides. These homes served as winter quarters; in the summer, occupants moved out to enjoy farther-off hunting and fishing areas. A sequence of customs called "potlatches," or ceremonial gift-giving commemorated the passing of a lineage chief.

For a young K'inéix Kwáan man training to be a warrior in pre-contact Yakutat, every day began the same manner, regardless of the season: swimming into the ocean and lasting as long as he could without fainting. For survival, they lived half of their life on the water. Additionally, Tlingit warrior training included extensive instruction in water conditioning, as raiding was a significant element of Tlingit warfare, particularly when conducted by sea. When the boy turned six, he would leave his parents' house. Rather, he would reside with his maternal uncle, who belonged to the same moiety and was tasked with raising the boy. Having failed to teach him better, the uncle might volunteer to take the boy's place if the boy committed an offense later in life that required a death in the clan to right the wrong. That was the seriousness of the obligation attached to it. The boys' uncle would beat them with alder branches until they bled after they emerged from the water so they could develop calluses on their skin. The lads used it as an opportunity to compete to see who was the strongest. The boy's final task was to gather and carry the largest piece of driftwood they could find on Yakutat's lengthy, sandy beaches. They would have to get up, pick up the log, and carry it back if they grew exhausted and fell over. The boys' tasks included running as far as possible and looking for metal. It was regarded as one of the most valuable items available for no other reason than its practicality.

Works Cited

“Tlingit | Indigenous Alaskans, Northwest Coast, Native Americans.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/Tlingit.

“Tlingit Men Trained Hard to Become Warriors | Juneau Empire.” Juneau Empire, 7 Dec. 2016, www.juneauempire.com/life/tlingit-men-trained-hard-to-become-warriors.

Credit to Olivia Lee