Thesis
Clan history and genetic diversity among Tlingit populations from southeast Alaska
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103739
Abstract
The Tlingit from Southeast Alaska belong to the Northwest Coast culture area. As many societies from this region, they share an important number of sociocultural practices with their neighbors. One of their most distinctive features is their social organization, characterized by a moiety division. The Tlingit possess a distinct matrilineal exogamous system in which marriage takes place among clans from two opposite moieties: the Raven and Eagle clans. Tlingit oral accounts contain relevant information about the origins and history of these social groups. Previous studies have shown a strong correlation between maternal clan membership and genetic variation. In this study, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from modern Tlingit (n=154) are examined. By comparing mtDNA with moiety membership information, I explore the impact of marriage traditions among the Tlingit on their observable genetic variation. The results support the idea that even after the European colonization, it is still possible to recognize maternal moiety identity on a genetic level. This thesis also illustrates the relevance of data derived from Tlingit oral traditions to test hypotheses about population history on the Northwest Coast.
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Details
- Title
- Clan history and genetic diversity among Tlingit populations from southeast Alaska
- Creators
- Rodrigo De Los Santos Alamilla
- Contributors
- Brian Matthew Kemp (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525019301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis