File:Descriptive booklet on the Alaska historical museum (1922) (14595253847).jpg

Identifier: descriptivebookl00alas (find matches)
Title: Descriptive booklet on the Alaska historical museum
Year: 1922 (1920s)
Authors: Alaska Historical Library and Museum Kashevaroff, Andrew P., b. 1863 Alaska Historical Association
Subjects:
Publisher: Juneau, Alaska
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ial takes as long if not longer,that is, a weaver turns out on an aver-age, one blanket a year. The purpose of the blanket is thatof a ceremonial robe. Its great valuein early days placed it beyond the reachof any but the wealthy, so it becamea necessary part of chiefs dress uponparticular occasions. The design on the blanket is alwaysanimal or bird in form, and totemic incharacter, and it is through this sys-tem of picture writing in the graphicand the plastic arts that the historyof these people has been preserved andtransmitted through centuries. The dominant feature of this coast isthe symbol of family. Its expressionis fantastic and full of color. It isvisible on the house fronts, the inter-ior supports and partitions, the canoeand the paddle, articles of dress andornaments, implements of the chaseand arms, even down to the mosttrivial household articles. This is mostnatural, as the family or clan is theunit of social and political life. Theprevailing system of matriarchy clearly
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ALASKA HISTORICAL MUSEUM 19 establishes the succession.^the broth-ers follow each other, or the nephew ofthe maternal uncle. Substitution isnever permitted, so doubt cannot exist.Union within the family is impf)ssible,for all like totems are considered asbrothers and sisters, although theymay be separated by hundreds of miles,with no single drop of blorjd in com-mon, and may not even know eachothers existence; totem is thus abirthright, as real as life itself. Thepersonal guardian spirit may in ex-treme cases be destroyed, or driven:^way from its trust; but no act canever ch-mge the relationship of theThlingit to his clan. Individuality existsonly within the family. Beyond thislimit every act affects the body politic,and not infreciuently one wholly inno-cent is called to give life itself for thehonor of the clan, in atonement for theact of another unworthy of the sacri-fice. Such conditions tended to bringthe families into constant relationswith one another. While intermarriage,assoc

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