Te

=Profile:= I am a Tlingit and I am one of the Slaves. I'm a 14 year old girl, who's named Te. I love to eat smoked salmon,and berries. I like to cook and I have a skill for it, other people in the tribe like my cooking too. I dislike cleaning though( I don't clean to well). Like to play with the other children.

My Day

In my day I would wake before dawn. I would go down to the river and bath. Then I go back to the house, there in the pit I start a fire, I put stones in the flames. While I wait for the stones to heat, I go get a cooking box and fill it with water. When I return the wood is mostly ash, I put more on. Then I leave. In the smoke house I look for a good fresh looking salmon. I pick one. Then I start back. At the house I put scorching hot stones in the box. The water started to bubble. I drop peaces of salmon in the box. The smell of salmon fills the air. The house starts to come alive. I pour the stew in bowls. Then I go to a small family section and start to clean it up. I tidy the baskets in a pile, and though out old torn mats. I do this at each place. Kook makes the new meal. Ten I go play with the other children. After the evening meal I help clean the bowls. Then I curl up in my bearskin blanket.

My favorite part of the day is when I take a bath. I hate to clean though.

The Potlach:
Hi I got a drum for our cousin's potlach Auntie sent me with a soap stone necklace of a beaver.

The potlach yesterday was wonderful. I could have stayed but I was worried about you. I'll tell you every thing about it. When I had just walked in and Uncle came to welcome me, he was sad that you were sick. I was the first to get some clams. They were great! I helped to greet the others. Uncle was first to bring in a group of glad guests.

The Chiefs of the next visiting tribe had a square shaped mouth. His eyes had a glint of anger in them. The rest of his clans' movements showed only greed. But since they were guests I stayed where I was.

I left to see my love bird drum. It was much nicer than our other drums. Other clans and tribes came even some old friends of Aunties.

First we ate then we sang and danced.We got to pound the on drums till our hands were red. then we all crowed around a small crib to see the little baby that is now our cousin.his face was bright red like our hands, from crying with not being fed Auntie took him out and fed him. He has a lumpy face. His eyes are brown. He's bald. When he was done eating,I got to hold him. I stood under the smoke-hole then he raised his tiny hands to try and grab a shining star.

You want to know the best was when I got to play the drums. I hate to welcome people to the potlach. It gets a little tiering to stand still.z