Tlingit Language and Culture Program
Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center

Haines is a small, isolated town in Alaska, where the young people had little knowledge of their rich heritage. The Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center’s Tlingit Language and Cultural Program is renewing this community by reclaiming its history and vanishing way of life. Now in its 17th year, the Sheldon Museum’s Tlingit Program offers students year-round opportunities to explore the language, culture, art, and history of the native people of the Chilkat Valley.

The Tlingit Program includes activities and classes at the Museum, as well as in local Indian schools. Language classes, guest speakers, and a wide variety of hands-on experiences engage children and teenagers and connect them with the community’s elders.

The Museum invites Tlingit artisans to instruct youth in crafting traditional spruce-root baskets, moccasins, and button blankets. In addition, community elders teach Tlingit songs, dances, and drumming. Other workshops focus on native plants and foods, geography, and trade practices. Local teens regularly volunteer at the Museum, which often displays many of the students’ projects. Unique events, such as Tlingit Week, refurbishing a totem pole, and potlatch ceremonies, draw participants of all ages and cultural backgrounds, especially the town’s Tlingit population.

Because language is the key to a culture, and Alaska Native languages are quickly disappearing, the Sheldon Museum offers free Tlingit language classes for both children and adults. Students and staff also produce the “Tlingit Word of the Week,” which appears in the Chilkat Valley News. In addition, community elders record Tlingit words and phrases on voice cards, enabling students and the public to hear the language spoken while viewing the Museum’s collection.

Giving the youth of Haines opportunities for creative self-expression, while interacting in a fun and supportive environment, instills a sense of responsibility and connection to their community. By reinforcing the bonds between multiple generations, the Tlingit Language and Culture Program is enriching them all and ensuring that Chilkat Valley’s heritage will endure.