Tlingit Moon & Tide - Alaska Native Knowledge Network - University ...

Tlingit calendar does not assign days to each month, but uses
the moon as a reference.
• Some Tlingit calendars have 13 months per annual cycle.
The end of one annual cycle and the beginning of another
are different from the standard calendar and may also be
different in areas around southeast Alaska. Tlingit moon
names are tied to resource availability.
• Compare the Tlingit calendar to the standard calendar. What
are the similarities and what are the differences?
• Ask students how they think calendars evolved. What does
the Tlingit calendar reveal about the Tlingit people?
• Ask whether a more numerical or standardized calendar
would have been necessary. Could people go back to moon
calendars? Do students’ families do things centered around
the lunar cycle (dig clams, work on boats, etc.)?
• Compare to local and regional cycles (see Nelson 1983 for
Athabaskan cycle; Boas 1916 for Tsimshian cycles, etc.).
Summary
Set up a display of completed masks, flip books, and myths.
Have students perform their myths using their moon masks.
These may be shared at a family or community event.
Chapter 2—Dis: The Moon in Tlingit Culture • 29