Cape Fox Village facts for kids

Cape Fox Village is an important historical place in Southeast Alaska, close to where the city of Ketchikan is today. It was once an old village called Gaash, home to the Cape Fox people, also known as the Saanyaa ḵwaan, who are part of the Tlingit nation. The village is located on the eastern side of the Revillagigedo Channel, about four miles south of a place called Boca de Quadra.

What is Cape Fox Village?

Cape Fox Village is a significant historical site for the Tlingit people. It was the traditional home of the Cape Fox Tlingit, known in their language as the Saanyaa ḵwaan. This village was a center of their community life for many years.

A Look Back in Time

In 1880, a person named Ivan Petroff visited the village while working on a government count, called a census. He wrote that about 100 Tlingit people were still living there at that time. This shows that the village was still active and important to the Tlingit community.

The Harriman Expedition and Cultural Items

In 1899, a group of scientists and explorers on a trip called the Harriman Expedition visited Cape Fox. During their visit, they took several important cultural items from the village. These items were very special to the Tlingit people living nearby. The expedition members saw these items as just old objects from a village that seemed empty. However, for the Tlingit, these items were a sacred part of their history and identity.

Returning the Artifacts

This event, where the items were taken without permission, is sometimes called the "Looting of Cape Fox." Since then, many efforts have been made to correct what happened. Some of these important cultural items have been returned to Tlingit communities near Cape Fox. This helps to bring back pieces of history to the descendants of the people who originally made them.

See also

• Cape Fox (disambiguation)
• Tongass Island