Tlingit Language - Geographic Distribution

Geographic Distribution

The Tlingit language is distributed from near the mouth of the Copper River down the open coast of the Gulf of Alaska and throughout almost all of the islands of the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. It is characterized by four or five distinct but mostly mutually intelligible dialects, for which see below. Almost all of the area where the Tlingit language is endemic is contained within the modern borders of Alaska.

The exception is an area known as Inland Tlingit, which extends up the Taku River and into northern British Columbia and the Yukon Territory around the Atlin (Áa Tleen “Big Lake”) and Teslin (Desleen < Tas Tleen “Big Thread”) lake districts, as well as a concentration around Bennett Lake at the end of the Chilkoot Trail (Jilkhoot). Otherwise Tlingit is not found in Canada. Tlingit legend tells that groups of Tlingit once inhabited the Stikine, Nass, and Skeena river valleys during their migrations from the interior. There is a small group of speakers (some 85) in Washington State as well.