"In the early days, there was no education in our area (Haines). It was mostly knowledge of survival. We had to listen to everyone, not only the local people. Everyone that came around had something to offer, whether they knew it or not.

Today, it is called subsistence. It was not subsistence in the old days; it was our way of life. Even today, it is still our way of life. We still depend on fish for our survival.

My Tlingit name is Goox Daaka Shoo. I was born May 17, 1930, in Haines. I belong to the Kaagwaantaan tribe, Brown Bear clan.

In the old days we had one chief in the community, especially in Klukwan. He wouldn't let anyone go gaffing for salmon until the Chilkat Lake was full enough for a year.

What he would do is send four or five young men to Ten Mile to see where the salmon were. When the salmon hit Ten Mile, he'd say, "Bring enough for the whole village to eat, but don't take more than that.""

Get the Story:
Alaskana: Tlingit way of life (The Anchorage Daily News 6/18)
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Interview with Paul Wilson, Tlingit elder (05/29)