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Traveling the inside passage of Alaska via a cruise ship has become a popular vacation. Jutting sharply from the shorelines, the mountain vistas are the star attraction. Shopping for native crafts and souvenirs in the towns of Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan is another unique feature of an Alaskan cruise. But one of the more memorable aspects of this vacation is getting to know the native Alaskans and learning about their culture and way of life.

The Tlingit (pronounced “Klinkit”) tribe settled on the eastern shores of Alaska, from the Copper River to the north to the Lituya Bay. They are thought to be the earliest settlers of this region, dating back 11,000 years ago. The northernmost Tlingit village is Yakutat, home to 650 year-round residents (and five different clans) who rely mainly on commercial fishing for their income. In translation, Yakutat means “a place where the canoe rests.”

The village is in the shadow of Mt. Elias, which towers over Yakutat Bay at 18,008-feet. Nearby Hubbard Glacier has a face that is 350-feet high above water, with a total height of 1400 feet, and stretches 7.5 miles wide. When ice breaks off the glacier, called “calving”, it produces thunderous noises. These natural wonders are part of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest U.S. national park.

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  Roger Wiegner from Surf and Sand Realty, Inc.: Brokers in Gulf Breeze, FL