The Tlingit language, rich in metaphor and deep in meaning, encodes the history, life ways, stories, and traditions of the Huna Tlingit. Widely spoken into the mid-20th century, the Tlingit language began to fade during a painful era of western acculturation. Language revitalization is critical, today there are fewer than 60 living fluent speakers. Read more: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/tlingit-language-our-grandparents-language.htm Learn more about Tlingit heritage: https://www.nps.gov/loc

Focusing on the Tlingit people for the month of October, Tommy Joseph Tlingit from Sitka made this battle armor helmet. Tommy is a master carver who has done extensive work and study on Tlingit battle armor traveling to many countries, where many Tlingit pieces ended up in various museums. Tommy has also done many other different types of pieces including totem poles. #CulturalHeritage #culturalexchange | Alaska Native Heritage Center