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Ceremonial Clothing of the Inland Tlingit

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Old Fox in costume and holding wolf skin.
August, 1951
Teslin, Yukon

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The Inland Tlingit are renowned for the beauty of their button blankets and other ceremonial clothing.

The animals and landscapes portrayed on the clothing have a special meaning, as they show what a person's family and community kinship is.

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Tlingit dance shirt.
2003
Teslin, Yukon

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There are two sides or "moieties" among the Inland Tlingit and other Yukon First Nations.

A person inherits either the "Wolf" side or the "Crow" side from their mother.

Whether or not a person is related to another member of their side, they can depend on them for help.

Opposite sides help each other too, but in different ways. A person's father traditionally comes from the opposite side.

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Tommy Peters in Beaver Shirt.
1951
Teslin, Yukon

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There are also different matrilineages and houses. While family groups inherited lines through the mother, houses would be headed by a man. Each house had a Tlingit name, such as Crow House, Wolf House, Beaver House, End of the Trail House, and so on.

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Tlingit ceremonial drum.
2002
Teslin, Yukon

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Each side has special stories and songs to tell the history of its people. Wolf or Crow sides also have special animals and places that are part of their heritage.

In the English language, pictures and carvings of these important relationships are called "crests."

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Annie Geddes, Jake Jackson and Mary Jackson in dance shirts.
March, 1951
Teslin, Yukon

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From left to right: Annie Geddes wears the Split Killer Whale beaded dance shirt of the Old yEnyedi sib (clan) of the Wolf moiety. Jake Jackson wears the Double-limbed Beaver (Split Beaver) of the Deisheetaan sib of the Crow moiety. Mary Jackson wears the Beaver button-ornamented dance shirt of the Decitan sib of the Crow moiety (Source: Catharine McClellan.)

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Old Fox showing back of killer whale blanket.
August, 1951
Teslin, Yukon

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Beads, pearls and buttons are used to make dance shirts, blankets, and banners.

Here, Louie (Louis) Fox, known as Old Fox, wears a killer whale button blanket.

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Detail of Tlingit button blanket depicting whale.
2002
Teslin, Yukon