Haines - Deishú
Historically, the Tlingit people of Haines were known to belong to one of the largest and most well-known tribes in Southeast ― the Chilkats. Dominating many trade routes into the Interior, the Chilkats maintained their position as the middleman for the fur trade, amassing great wealth and power for their people.
Gravesites were an indicating factor of a “community” and used as including provisions for ANCSA. Yandeist’akye’ cemetery, which was a prominent Tlingit village in the 1800’s, is located near the Haines airport.
Circa 1959
As the first settlers of Deishú and the surrounding areas, the Tlingits of the Chilkat Valley can trace their family lineage back generations to many local village sites, such as the village of Yandeist’akye’ located near the Haines airport. Archeological evidence even shows fish traps in the Chilkoot River from more than 2,100 years ago, including house remnants from Chilkoot village sites, eight Native cemeteries, and two shaman burial sites in the Haines area.
It wasn’t until white colonizers arrived in the late 1800s that many of these village sites were ravaged with disease and displacement. Today, there are only two village sites occupied in the Chilkat Valley ― Klukwan and Deishú.
“Our land is our way of life. We were once connected to our land with every fiber of our being for thousands of years. I dream we will soon be connected again. My sons are carvers and I long for the day that we can walk on our lands and select a tree that is right for a canoe. They could select a tree that is right for a totem. There’s a connection between the land, tree and carver that is unexplainable to most people, but we understand.”
Harriet Brouillette (right) and son, Ted Hart (left). Photo courtesy of StoryCorps.
In order to organize as communities and speak for their people, many Native communities formed Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood camps in the early 1900s. Haines established one of the first camps in the early 1920s following the Haines Progressive Club, a forerunner to the well-known ANB/ANS organization. The 1929 Grand Camp Convention was held in Haines — later that year, ANB filed the first land claims case against the federal government.
Today, the Chilkoot Indian Association, a federally recognized tribe, seeks to represent Haines as a Native Sovereign Nation. Through the integration of traditional culture, values, and community programs, the Chilkoot Indian Association supports and uplifts their tribal citizens.
Chilkat Indians in Haines Alaska (1896-1913). Photo courtesy of the Alaska State Library.