Tlingit language

The Tlingit language is spoken by the Tlingit people, who are Indigenous to the coastal regions of southern Alaska. It is part of the Na-Dené language family and is related to Athabaskan languages. The Tlingit language is known for its rich phonology, featuring a large number of contrasting sounds, including over 47 consonants and 8 vowels. This complexity is partly due to phonetic contrasts not typically found in European languages, such as glottalized consonants and a wider range of articulation points for sounds. The Tlingit people traditionally organized themselves into moieties, clans, and lineages, with a strong emphasis on maternal descent. Their economy was historically based on fishing, particularly salmon, and they were skilled woodworkers.12