The Tlingit Indians: Observations of an indigenous people of Southeast Alaska 1881-1882

In 1881, two German geographers were on their way to the continental United States from the Bering Sea Coast when they came upon a Native population in southeast Alaska that had formed a society far more complex than those of most other North American tribes. Upon return to Germany, Aurel Krause published “The Tlingit Indians.” In it were rich, detailed descriptions of the Tlingit kinship system, societal structure, village and family life, customs and traditions, subsistence living, arts and crafts, mythology and shamanism, a language glossary, and an extensive bibliography. Aurel’s brother, Arthur, sketched many of the illustrations. This enduring comprehensive resource offers the contemporary reader a glimpse into the history and traditions of an important Northwest Coast culture.