The Tlingit and Haida home was the center of evening Raven stories. Usually an old person, a grandfather, was the source of the stories. The children listened carefully as the stories went on for days, giving the different episodes of Raven in his travels upon the world.

In Southeast Alaskan mythology, Raven is mixed in most everything. You will find him appearing in one form or the other. He was legendary, talented, full of magic, benefactor, bringing good will or casting an evil spell. As such, he was greatly respected. He also survived the great flood of ancient times; he stuck his bill into the sky ceiling and hung there till the flood receded. He took on human, bird, and animal forms and could change at will. You could imagine then the many things he got mixed up in. Although he had power, we find him hungry on many occasions. He was always searching for food. His hunger usually caused his downfall, but it was not long as he was right back for more episodes.

In Southeast Alaska, Raven is used as a phratry by one of the two opposite groups. The other is the Eagle. That is why Raven is so prominent in Haida and Tlingit totems. A person is either a Raven or Eagle. The clan crests come under these two phratries. A person is born into a mother's phratry and takes his mother's crest, and all legal rights come from the mother's side.