Ingalik
Land: The
traditional homelands of the Ingalik Indians
include the lower Yukon and the upper Kuskokwim
rivers in the Alaskan interior. This region is mountainous with woodlands and tundra.Traditions: This
area supplied the Ingalik with fish, caribou, bear, moose and other game. Fish
was the most central to their diet. Fishing would occupy much of their time
during spring and early summer. Migratory birds were their primary supply of
summer food. Muskrats would be hunted for food as well as pelts, that would be
made into parkas and robes. Occasionally, the Ingaliks would hunt caribou, bear
and moose.
The Ingaliks were very influenced by the Inuit. They wore parkas,
trousers and other Inuit clothing. They borrowed harpoons, spear throwers and
other Eskimo weapons. Rather then using skin covered boats, the Ingalik made
birch canoes. In the winter the Ingalik constructed earth covered
semi-subterranean lodges, in front of which racks would hold canoes and sleds
for the winter months.
There were separate smokehouses and drying racks for salmon. In the
summer they constructed their houses out of cottonwood or spruce bark. The
Kashim was a semi-subterranean lodge that served as a center for the villages
social activities. It was used daily by the men as a sweat house . It also was
used as a council chamber, entertainment club, funeral home, and religious
house for the shamans. The Kashim was normally used for the men only. Women
stayed in the families houses.
The Ingalik enjoyed games, sports and
potlatches. These potlatches were ceremonies
that involved inviting guests, speechmaking and
gift giving from the donor to the recipients
according to their social rank. The bigger the
gathering the higher the rank of the donor.
Usually the potlatch was accompanied by a feast
and generous hospitality. A potlatch was given
by an heir to validate his newly found wealth.
If there was a marriage, birth, or death there
was another reason for a potlatch.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on the Ingalik.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the
web address of this page.
If you are Ingalik, your feedback is much appreciated.
Resources:
Alaska Community Database http://www.dced.state.ak.us/mra/CF_CIS.htm 3/7/1
Ingalik Tribe
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gregoryd/ingalik.html
3/8/1
Native American Authors: Ingalik tribe http://www.ipl.org/cgi/ref/native/browse.pl/t301 3/8/1
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