The Hub will follow the collaborative concept of ‘wooshtin wudidaa’, meaning flowing together. The late respected TRT Elder, Jackie Williams, often spoke about the confluence of the clear waters of the Naak’ ina. aa (Nakina River) and the glacial L’ooxh’ u Heen (Sloko River) in the Taku watershed as a metaphor for the power of collaboration between Tlingit and their non-Indigenous partners. Elder Williams’s descriptions of the two rivers joining can be understood as the physical enactment of ethical space: “This is what the coming together of the Nakina and Sloko represent. This is an example of how Mother Earth teaches us. She shows us how to work together.” (Jackie Williams, pg 2, Łingít Kusteeyí: What My Grandfather Taught Me)
Guided by the teachings of Elder Jackie Williams, the Hub will aim to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners to advance the revitalization of Tlingit law, emphasizing the interconnectedness of All Our Relations. While the Hub is primarily Indigenous led, we recognize the importance of creating relationships and learning opportunities that span across different knowledge systems and ways of being.
The TRT have long been leaders in the conservation of their own lands and the central purpose of this Hub—to revitalize and articulate Łingít laws—is the next step in ensuring that the governance of their traditional territory is truly Tlingit-led. By developing the capacity of TRT people to uphold and practice their laws in a modern context, this project is equipping the next generation with the tools to become land protectors.
This Hub also advances well-being by reconnecting Tlingit people to their cultural and legal traditions. Due to the impacts of colonization, TRT people have not had access to their own laws and as a result many of their Indigenous laws have been replaced by colonial practices. This has left TRT with no choice but to work within colonial structures despite recognizing that doing so is not in the best interest of their people. The Hub supports equity for all Tlingits by creating safe and decolonized spaces for Tlingit people to reconnect with their ways of knowing and being.
This Hub also supports adaptation through its on-the-land trainings that develop the capacity of Tlingit participants to understand and respond to environmental change.
In the past, this project has focused primarily on knowledge mobilization in the TRT community. Increasing awareness and understanding of the importance and value of revitalizing Łingít laws has been vital for maintaining community buy-in. This internally focused knowledge mobilization must be continued in order to advance self-determination.
A key next step in the project will be to empower Tlingit people to become experts in their own laws through a Deliberative Law Drafting process. The Deliberative Law Drafting process will give TRT people the opportunity to validate and refine already articulated Tlingit Legal Principles, and will also deepen their knowledge of the work already undertaken to articulate these laws.
That said, as the Hub develops in Years 2 & 3, we will also expand knowledge sharing to include a broader audience. The Hub will work towards establishing a formal networking and mentorship program that will connect this work with other organizations with similar goals. Each year, we will work towards developing relationships and knowledge exchanges that include inviting participants from other communities to support / participate in land-based Łingít laws trainings. Lessons, teachings, impacts will be shared through this networking and mentorship, and will create new opportunities for knowledge braiding.
