George Thornton Emmons

Uncover the mystique of the Chilkat people with "The Whale House of the Chilkat" by George Thornton Emmons, a timeless cultural treasure that has resurfaced after decades out of print. Now republished by Alpha Editions, this beautifully restored edition is more than just a reprint it's a collector's item and a gateway to the rich tapestry of indigenous Alaskan heritage. Dive into the heart of the Chilkat tribe, where the legendary Whale House stands as a symbol of tradition, artistry, and community. Emmons, a passionate ethnographer, captures the essence of the Chilkat's vibrant culture, weaving together tales of their intricate totemic art, spiritual beliefs, and the profound connection to their natural surroundings. This edition is a must-have for both casual readers and collectors of classic literature, offering a rare glimpse into a world that has shaped the cultural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Experience the revival of a forgotten masterpiece, meticulously restored for today's and future generations, and let the stories of the Chilkat inspire and captivate your imagination.

""Jade In British Columbia And Alaska, And Its Use By The Natives: Indian Notes And Monographs, No. 35"" is a book written by George Thornton Emmons. The book is a comprehensive study of the mineral jade and its use by the indigenous people of British Columbia and Alaska. The author provides detailed information on the geological formation of jade, its physical and chemical properties, and the different types of jade found in the region. The book also explores the cultural significance of jade to the native people, including its use in art, jewelry, and religious ceremonies. The author draws on his extensive knowledge of the native cultures of the region to provide a rich and detailed account of the history and importance of jade in their daily lives. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history, culture, and natural resources of the Pacific Northwest region of North America.""This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons, U. S. N., was station in Alaska during the 1880s and 1890s, a time when the Navy was largely responsible for law and stability in the Territory. His duties brought him into close contact with the Tlingit Indians, whose respect he won and from whom he gained an understanding of and respect for their culture. He became a friend of many Tlingit leaders, visited their homes, traveled in their canoes when on leave, purchased native artifacts, and recorded native traditions. In addition to an interest in native manufacturing and in the more spectacular aspects of native life - such as bear hunting, Chilkat blankets, feuds, and the potlatch - Emmons showed the ethnographer's devotion to recording all aspects of the culture together with the Tlingit terms, and came to understand Tlingit beliefs and values better than did any of his nonnative contemporaries. He was widely recognized for his extensive collections of Tlingit artifacts and art, and for the detailed notes that accompanied them. At the request of Morris K. Jesup, president of the American Museum of Natural History (which had purchased Emmons's first two Tlingit collections), and on the recommendation of Franz Boas, Emmons began to organize his notes and prepare a manuscript on the Tlingit. During his retirement, he published several articles and monographs and continued to study and work on his comprehensive book. But when he died in 1945, the book was still unfinished, and he left several drafts in the museum and also in the provincial archives of British Columbia in Victoria, where he had been writing during the last decades of his life. Frederica de Laguna, eminent ethnologist and archaeologist with long personal experience with the Tlingit, was asked by the museum to edit The Tlingit Indians for publication. Over the past thirty years she has worked to organize Emmons's materials, scrupulously following his plan of including extracts from the earliest historical sources. She also has made significant additions from contemporary or more recent authors, and from works unknown ton Emmons or unavailable to him, and has given the ethnography greater historical depth by presenting this information in chronological order. She has also added relevant commentary of her own based on her encyclopedic information about past and present Tlingit culture. With the help of Jeff Leer of the Alaskan Native Language Center, an expert on Tlingit, she has provided modern phonetic transcriptions of Tlingit words whenever Emmons has given native terms in his own idiosyncratic and inconsistent versions of Tlingit. This major contribution to the ethnography of the Northwest Coast also includes a meticulously researched biography of Lieutenant Emmons by Jean Low, an extensive bibliography, and thirty-seven tables in which de Laguna draws together and tightens Emmons's materials on topics such as census data, names of clans and houses, species of plants and their uses, native calendars, and names of gambling sticks. Illustrations include numerous photographs and sketches made and annotated by Emmons. This volume will be invaluable to anthropologists, historians, and the general public - including the Tlingit Indians themselves, to whom it is dedicated. Frederica de Laguna , professor emeritus of anthropology at Bryn Mawr College, is the author of the three-volume Under Mount Saint Elias (on the Tlingit of Yakutat) and numerous other works on Alaska archaeology and ethnography.