Gallery Thumbnail Gallery Stories Contact Us Search
George Johnston and His World: Life and Culture of the Inland Tlingit
George Johnston Museum
Teslin , Yukon Territory

Enter

   The Inland Tlingit are
descendants of the Coastal
Tlingit who migrated into the
Yukon Territory, Canada, from
what is now Southeast Alaska.
Their entry to the interior
via the Taku River to Atlin,
British Columbia, then
overland to Teslin, came
during the 19th century.

   This exhibit features
Teslin Tlingit life and
culture from the first half
of the 20th century. Much of
it is seen through the camera
lens of George Johnston, for
whom the Teslin museum is
named, and anthropologist
Catharine McClellan. Their
images record the seasonal

activities of people hunting,
fishing, preparing hides,
building pelt stretchers, and
participating in community
gatherings.
   The Tlingit were swift to
incorporate the technology of
European settlers. George
Johnston was a leading light
in this regard, being the

first to bring an automobile
into the area, even though
there were no roads to
accommodate it. As an avid
photographer, he documented
the 1928 Chevrolet's
incorporation into community
life. For example, he would
drive it onto the frozen
Teslin Lake to find choice

  Next
Important Notices  
© 2024 All Rights Reserved