Klukwan

Klukwan is a Tlingit village in the Haines Borough of Alaska, United States. It sits at the head of the Chilkat River, inland from the Chilkat Inlet opposite the town of Haines. The community is part of the Alaska Panhandle region and is recognized as one of the oldest continuously inhabited Tlingit settlements. The surrounding landscape includes the Chilkat Mountains and temperate rainforest.

Historically, Klukwan functioned as a major center of trade, governance, and culture for the Chilkat Tlingit. The village is renowned for its Chilkat weaving, a distinctive and highly regarded craft that uses complex patterns and traditional techniques. Today, weaving, subsistence hunting and fishing, and cultural tourism contribute to the local economy. The community preserves artifacts, oral histories, and demonstrations of traditional crafts, often through a cultural center and related programs.

In contemporary governance, Klukwan operates under a tribal government that manages land, resources, and cultural initiatives in cooperation with regional and federal entities. The population is predominantly Tlingit, with both traditional language and English spoken. The community maintains its cultural identity through dances, ceremonies, and other related events that reinforce continuity of tradition and social cohesion. Klukwan remains a focal point for processes of cultural preservation and transmission within the Chilkat Tlingit homeland.