AT SEA OFF SOUTHWEST CANADA

THE TLINGIT PEOPLE

It is not possible to talk about Alaska without a discussion of the Tlingits.  It is speculated that human occupation of southeast Alaska occurred 11,000 years ago by the indigenous Tlingit people.  It is not clear exactly where they came from however.  The name Tlingit essentially means human beings.  It was originally used to distinguish a human being from an animal since Tlingits believed there was little difference between the two.  Over time the word became their name.  The Tlingit people are grouped into units (like tribes) called “knan”. 

Europeans (Russians) arrived in Tlingit country for the first time in 1741 but contact with the Tlingits was limited until well into the 1800’s.  Seems they did not like the Russians coming so fought to keep them out.  Eventually diseases imported by Europeans and Americans looking for gold, killed many Tlingits.  They fought American development of canneries, mines, and logging but it was futile due to America’s military strength.  In 1906, the Native Allotment Act, gave 160 acres to each adult “native” as long as the ground contained no mineral deposits.  Plus they could sell or lease this property without the approval of the US Secretary of Interior.  Basically, they got screwed just as are American native Indians were.  They were called Indians too and during the 1930’s, 40’s & 50’s, it was not uncommon to see signs on business doors in Alaska saying, “No Indians Allowed”.  Today, although the Thlingit people are much more accepted, their fight for survival continues.  There are an estimated 20,000 Tlingits today in Alaska.  They are a big part of Alaska’s history which has never been taught in our schools, as far as I know.

Totem poles in Alaska were originally from the Haidas & Tlingits.  The poles were never objects of worship even though the early European explorers thought they were.  Totem poles symbolize characters and events of a myth or relate the experiences of ancestors or living people.  Pole carvings may include animals, birds, fish, plants, insects, humans, or supernatural beings such as the Thunderbird.  The poles are typically carved from highly rot-resistant trunks of giant cedar or western red cedar trees.  They usually last 60 to 80 years.   Photos of the poles will follow when we arrive in Alaska.

LAST NIGHT AND TODAY

          We did dine up in Sette Mari yesterday evening.  I had the cioppino and Rebecca had the chicken marsala.  From there we went to the production show, "Broadway Tonight".  Once again this Jean Ann Ryan cast of singers and dancers was fantastic.  We arrived in the showroom early so we could get our usual front row seats.  They were suppose do this show on Saturday night but it was too rough for them to dance.  They are suppose to perform another show tonight but that may change as we are cruising today in the "outside passage", meaning open ocean.  Ship is moving about again but not nearly as bad as first 36 hours of this cruise.  We have been in rain showers all morning on and off.  Temperature outside is 50F.  We are experiencing long swells up to 8 feet today.

          We both had blackened chicken Caesar salads in the main dining room for lunch.  The internet has been down all morning but our butler came to the dining room to inform me that it was now back up.  Now I can finish this post.  At 3:00 pm we have an appointment with the cruise consultant to complete our booking of a Barcelona to Singapore 43 night cruise for November 2016.  At 6:00 pm there is a cocktail party for Seven Seas Society members.  We declined an invitation to dine with Lorraine, the cruise director, this evening.  She was going to host a table for 7 and I told her we do not like large groups when dining.  This is what happens when you get old.  We will be dining in Compass Rose dining room this evening.  One of our favorites is on the menu:  miso glazed sea bass.
If the production show, "Dawning of Aquarius", has not been canceled due to motion of the ocean, we will again be sitting on the front row.  It is scheduled for 9:30 pm.
          Tonight we turn our clocks back one hour so as to be on Alaska time.  We will be arriving in Sitka, Alaska, at noon tomorrow.  Below are some photos I took last night at the show.

                             Jade, headline entertainer who does Whitney Houston music