Yakutat Tlingit Ethnographic Overview and Assessment

Project ID: J8W07100006

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Portland State University

Fiscal Year: 2010

Initial Funding: $63,608

Total Funding: $105,594

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Cultural

National Park: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve

Principal Investigator: Deur, Doug

Agreement Technical Representative: Cellarius, Barbara

Abstract: The Yakutat Tlingit Ethnographic Overview and Assessment will provide a broad synthesis of Yakutat Tlingit and Eyak cultural history, traditional territory, socio-political organization and cultural change over the last 100 years in the northern Gulf of Alaska. An area of emphasis will be the relationship between the communities and lands within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST). This will be accomplished by synthesizing ethnographic literature and other previously collected material and conducting a limited number of new interviews to fill data gaps. The project will be conducted by researchers from Portland State University in cooperation with NPS staff. The collected information will help to inform park management decisions, identify places and resources of particular importance to peoples traditionally associated with the southern flank of WRST, orient new park staff to the cultural context of the park, and provide interpretive materials for the park’s use. The project is envisioned as having three phases, and this Task Agreement funds phase one. The main product of phase one will be an annotated bibliography of sources pertaining to the study area and themes, as well as a work plan addressing proposed phases two and three. The main products of phases two and three will be an overview report synthesizing prior ethnographic literature and related materials into a narrative that, while meeting academic standards, is understandable to park managers and the interested public. An associated Annotated Bibliography will critically evaluate significant sources of information about the Yakutat Tlingit and Eyak traditional territories.