Oral Histories and Alpine Archaeology in T’aaku Kwáan Territory

• Author / Creator

  Louter, Ben L

• This community-based research project demonstrates how the alpine landscapes of Lingit Aaní (northwest British Columbia and southeast Alaska) have been shaped by Lingít oral histories. Decades of ice patch archaeology in the southern Yukon have revealed a highly developed ice patch hunting tradition among Subarctic Indigenous people, yet other than opportunistic discoveries such as the Kwäday dän Ts’ínchį, (The Long Ago Person Found) there have been few systematic efforts made towards understanding Indigenous land use in alpine landscapes in adjacent northwestern British Columbia. This research project is an effort to map many of the cultural landscapes located in the alpine, in the traditional territory of the T'aaku Kwáan, now represented administratively by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN), based out of Atlin, B.C. Published oral histories from Lingít oral historians Jackie Williams (Yáx góos) and his mother, Elizabeth Nyman (Sédayá) of the Yanyeidí clan shape the interpretations of alpine land use presented in this thesis. There are many descriptive accounts of alpine land use in the oral histories of the T'aaku Kwáan, as well as detailed knowledge encoded in Lingít toponyms. This research project will examine the cultural role of alpine use areas, and will serve as an archaeological baseline in this region, which has been subject to scant research. This thesis will examine the above noted research to help determine the cultural role of alpine use areas within T'aaku Kwáan territory for the purpose of creating an archaeological and cultural heritage baseline from which future research can build.

  This research study explores the history of T'aaku Kwáan territory (as defined by Elders and knowledge keepers) through an integrated approach that combines archaeological evidence, oral histories, and cultural toponyms. The investigation examines the alignment between these sources of knowledge and their implications for understanding the region's history. The findings highlight the dynamic nature of T'aaku Kwáan society and the durability of oral knowledge more broadly, and call into question the overall lack of engagement with oral histories in the vast majority of professional archaeology consulting in British Columbia, Canada. Drawing upon the oral traditions passed down by Taku River Tlingit elders and recorded by dedicated individuals, the research investigates the close correlation between oral histories, Lingít toponyms, and archaeological sites. My research will add to the growing body of literature that recognizes the crucial role of oral histories in the field of archaeology. The alignment between these sources of knowledge underscores the reliability and historical value of oral knowledge.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Archaeology
  • Ice patch archaeology
  • Alpine archaeology
  • Oral histories
  • Tlingit
  • Indigenous archaeology

• Graduation date

  Spring 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-c2t7-pv54

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.