22

Mable Johnston ice fishing.
May, 1951
Teslin, Yukon

23

The Tlingit people used sinew or willow-bark gill nets for fishing. The women would hold netting parties, preparing the sinew by rolling it in their palms and on their thighs. They made the sinew soft and stretchable by moistening it in their mouths.

24

Two boys sit among furs.
1938
Johnstontown, B.C.

25

In the past, most Tlingits began to trap around age 8 and continued into their 70s and 80s. Each member of a family had their own trapline or traps. Entire families trapped adjacent to one another.

26

Lynx pelts at Johnstontown.
1940
Johnstontown, B.C.

27

Trapping supplied food and hide, and an opportunity to trade or sell. It was pursued as an unquestioned traditional use of the land and as an act of appreciation for the land's bounty.

28

Dolly Johnston (Porter) with wolverine, lynx, fox and wolf furs at George Johnston's garage.
1938
Teslin, Yukon

29

Tlingit people trapped marten, fox, lynx, wolf, coyote, squirrel, weasel, beaver, and wolverine. No area was trapped for more than a few years in a row so that animal populations could rebuild themselves.

30

David Johnston and Maude (the horse) with moose kill.
1942
Between Teslin and Johnstontown

31

Moose are easily startled, so great skill is needed to successfully track and kill one. Traditionally, these animals were snared or shot using bows and arrows. In the winter, when the snow was deep, a moose would break through the snow crust and allow a swift hunter to overtake it.

32

A skin toboggan, made from the shanks of caribou.
2004
Teslin, Yukon

33

If the moose kill took place far from the camp, the hunter would butcher the moose himself and bring in the meat using the hide as a sled.

34

Ishkeatan (Frog) Clan dance
1993
Teslin, Yukon

35

Teslin began as a summer meeting place for many of the Tlingit people in the region. Non-native prospectors returned to Teslin Lake from the goldfields and lived off the land as well.
Since their migration inland, the Tlingit have adapted to the challenges of a harsher climate and the seasonal cycles. Today, the Teslin Tlingit remain well connected to their roots and their traditions.