Tlingit Sea Lion Helmet

Sea Lion Helmet

Tlingit Sea Lion Helmet carved from red cedar, wolf teeth, and seal whiskers.

Sea Lion Helmet

Sea Lion Helmet

In our culture, every Tlingit man was trained to become a warrior. At age 7, young boys left their mother and father to be raised by their uncle. As part of their training, every morning a yell would ring out in the clan, every young man would head down to the ocean to sit in the cold water. The young men would try and outdo each other to see who could stay in the longest. This strengthened their body and mind to survive the harsh conditions of Alaska. When they got out of the water, they would be whipped with alder branches to deaden the nerves, and create calluses. My father said my grandfathers would sit in the ocean each morning as elders, to lead by example.

Tlingit Hide Armor - Shark Design, elk hide

Only the most proven young men would have the honor of wearing Tlingit armor during battle. The training was strict, if a young man did a wrong within the clan, they would often punish the uncle for not raising them right. Their uncle’s teachings not only made them strong physically, but it taught them Tlingit philosophy of balance and respect for all things.