Verplank McClelland, AshleySigoo ei’ yeil X’áakw Hít, T’akdeintaan, Xunaa Kwáan University of Washington
Louis Shotridge and the Daggers of Klukwan The story of Louis Shotridge and his work to document and collect Tlingit objects is well-known. What is not widely discussed is his role in preserving the legacy of Klukwan daggers and the cultural importance of daggers within Tlingit communities. This presentation visually explores the daggers forged by Klukwan metalsmiths, and explains how Louis Shotridge influenced the historical record of some Klukwan daggers. Many Tlingit villages created daggers, but over the centuries it is the daggers from the village of Klukwan that stand out for their large numbers in collections and exceptional craftsmanship. Smiths from Klukwan were creating hand-forged daggers from pre-contact times, well into the twentieth century.
