Professor James Crippen hosted a traditional Tlingit potlatch (Tlingit ḵu.éexʼ [qʰù.ˈʔíːxʼ] lit. ‘invitation of people’) on October 21st in his home town of Wrangell, Alaska (Tlingit Ḵaachx̱an.áakʼw [ˌqʰàːtʃ.χàn.ˈʔáːkʼʷ]). The event ran for 14 hours from 10am to midnight and hosted over 80 guests of several Tlingit clans in the Wolf/Eagle moiety, particularly including leaders of the Naanyaa.aayí, Sʼiknax̱.ádi, and Kayaashkiditaan clans as well as the Haida Yaakwláanas clan. The potlatch was held in memory of six members of the Ḵakʼweidí Deisheetaan clan in Wrangell and four new clan objects (Tlingit at.óow [ʔàt.ʔúːw] lit. ‘things owned’) were dedicated and paid for in their honour. It included the public performance of three clan stories and two clan songs in Tlingit. Over 100 wool blankets were given to guests as well as a number of hand-carved objects, several antique dishes, and many other small gifts. Four Tlingit names were assigned to members of the clan, and two graduations (PA-C, PhD) were celebrated. A soapberry whipping contest was held for the first time in living memory. The event was a small part in ongoing efforts to revive nearly extinct cultural and linguistic traditions of the Shtaxʼhéen Ḵwáan Tlingit people in Wrangell.
