The Teslin Tlingit: Keepers of the Five Clans

The Tlingit peoples of Teslin trace their ancestry to coastal Tlingit clans who moved inland along river systems — the Taku River corridor, the Alsek, and others — establishing themselves in the southern Yukon interior over many generations. This migration brought with them the elaborate social structure, artistic traditions, and clan governance of the coastal Tlingit: systems that proved remarkably resilient through the colonial period and continue to structure Teslin Tlingit life today. ## The Five Clans Teslin Tlingit society is organized around five clans: the Deisheetaan (Crow/Beaver), Ishkahittaan (Frog/Raven), Yanyeidí (Wolf), Dakhl'aweidí (Killer Whale/Wolf), and Gaanax.ádi (Raven). These clans are matrilineal — membership passes through the mother — and they structure everything from governance and ceremony to the carving of totem poles and the protocols of marriage. A person always marries outside their own clan; major ceremonies require the cooperation of opposing moieties, balancing the Eagle and Raven sides. This clan system is not a historical artefact. It is a living governance structure. The Teslin Tlingit constitution — adopted after self-government — formally incorporates clan governance into the political structure of the nation, making it one of the most constitutionally distinctive Indigenous governments in Canada. ## George Johnston George Johnston, born in 1884, is perhaps the community's most celebrated figure from the early twentieth century. A trapper, trader, and extraordinarily gifted photographer, Johnston documented his community through the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s — a period of profound change — with a camera he taught himself to use and darkroom chemicals he ordered by mail. His photographs capture Tlingit people in their own spaces, on their own terms: setting traps, travelling by boat, gathering for ceremony. Johnston also imported a 1928 Chevrolet and built his own 3-kilometre road through the bush so he could drive it in winter on frozen ground. The car became a community institution, charging neighbours for rides. It is now on display at the [George Johnston Museum](/blog/teslin-george-johnston-museum) in Teslin. His photographs, now held in the Yukon Archives, are an extraordinary record of Tlingit life during one of the most difficult periods of the colonial era: the imposition of the Indian Act, the arrival of missionaries, and the Alaska Highway construction that brought a sudden flood of workers through Teslin in 1942. ## The Alaska Highway and Its Consequences The construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942 had severe consequences for Teslin. Thousands of American soldiers and civilian workers flooded through a community that had never experienced anything on that scale. A measles epidemic in 1942 killed a significant portion of the community's elders — a devastating blow to oral tradition and living knowledge. The influx also brought alcohol, disruption to the seasonal round, and the permanent imposition of a road through the heart of the territory. The highway is now the community's main connection to the south. That dual legacy — an economy tied to the road and a community shaped by its traumatic arrival — runs through much of what Teslin is today. ## The Inland Tlingit Tradition The Teslin Tlingit are sometimes called Inland Tlingit to distinguish them from the coastal peoples — though the distinction is one of geography, not culture or language. The same elaborate ceremonialism, the same potlatch traditions, the same clan obligations governed life at Teslin as at Juneau or Sitka. When a person died, the opposite moiety performed the funeral; the hosting clan was obligated to hold a memorial potlatch in return, redistributing wealth and honouring the deceased. These obligations — and the social relationships they maintained — survived the colonial disruptions of the twentieth century. Carvers and artists in Teslin continue to work in the classical Tlingit tradition: formline design, button blankets, regalia, and totem poles. Several poles stand in the community, carved to honour individuals and clans. ## Self-Government and Cultural Renewal The Teslin Tlingit Council signed their Final Agreement with Canada and Yukon in 1993 and achieved self-government simultaneously — among the first First Nations in Canada to do so. Their constitution, grounded in traditional clan governance, recognized the five clans as the foundational units of government. The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre offers language programs, carving instruction, beadwork, and oral history transmission. The Hà Kus Teyea Interpretive Centre documents the community's history and clan traditions. Language revitalization is an ongoing priority: Tlingit is a complex, tonal language, and the work of passing it to younger generations continues alongside cultural programs that engage the whole community. ## Visiting Teslin Teslin sits on the Alaska Highway about 180 kilometres southeast of Whitehorse, on the long, narrow arm of Teslin Lake — one of the most beautiful lakes in the Yukon. The bridge over Nisutlin Bay at Teslin is the longest water span on the Alaska Highway. The George Johnston Museum is the best starting point for learning about Tlingit history in the region; the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre is a short walk away. --- ## See Also on TheKlondike.net - [Teslin Travel Guide](/blog/teslin-george-johnston-museum) — where to visit the George Johnston Museum and Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre - [Displacement and Survival: How the Gold Rush Changed Yukon First Nations](/blog/gold-rush-impact-first-nations) — the colonial period the Teslin Tlingit survived - [The 1993 Umbrella Final Agreement](/blog/yukon-umbrella-final-agreement-1993) — Teslin Tlingit were original signatories - [Watson Lake Travel Guide](/blog/watson-lake-sign-post-forest) — southern gateway to the Yukon, near Tlingit territory - [The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations](/blog/champagne-aishihik-first-nations-history) — neighbouring First Nation to the northwest