Stick Indians & Athabaskans in SE Alaska

[David Robertson]

I'm fortunate enough to have gotten a copy of the late Reginald 
Dangeli's "Tsetsaut History: The Forgotten Tribe of Southern Southeast 
Alaska".

There's very little information available about the Tsetsaut Athabaskans, 
so it's good to find this item written by a direct descendant of the last 
people to identify themselves as Tsetsaut.

Dangeli tells how researchers in the early 20th century (Franz Boas and 
associates?) asked Tlingit "guides and interpreters" for information on 
place names in East Behm Canal.  

These Native experts "were unable to define the meanings of some of these 
place names...They heard stories that an Athapaskan group who became beach 
dwellers came down and utilized some areas of the canal.  The Tlingits 
called these people stick Indians as they were nomadic and kept their 
hunting in the Interior coming down occasionally to harvest their fish and 
to trade with their sea-going neighbors.  One of their main hunting trails 
was along Chickamin River not far from Unuk River..."  (Page 52)

This information tells us at least two things of interest for our 
listserv.  

(1) "Stick Indian", a Chinook Jargon term (or at least a CJ calque in 
English), was used by Tlingits for several neighboring Athabaskan groups.  
I've posted previously here about the Ahtnas et al. being called this. 

(2) Chinook Jargon was in use to some noticeable extent in extreme 
Southeast Alaska, given this term and the name of Chickamin ('metal / 
gold') River.

Dangeli tells elsewhere in the book of CJ being used by Boas with 
Tsetsauts; I've posted that information (published elsewhere) on this list 
previously.  

--Dave

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