Teaching Tips: Native American Culture: About Git-Hoan Dances

Locate the Tsimshian Reservation on Annette Island on a map. It is in the southernmost corner of Alaska. Research weather conditions there. How long is the growing season? How difficult are the winters? Make a comparison between how the Tsimshian people lived 200 years ago and how they live today.

Research the clans or phratries of the Tsimshian people: Raven, Wolf, Eagle, and Killer Whale. How are they depicted in carvings and designs? What does it mean to be a member of that clan?

Research the regalia of the dancers, especially their elaborate masks. Have students create masks that reflect the style of Git-Hoan masks or of contemporary American culture.