Tag Archives: Native American

Mortality in Your Hands: “The Pocket Size Tlingit Coffin” by Gérard Titus-Carmel

What if you could carry your mortality in your pocket? Gérard Titus-Carmel's powerful reflection on life and death

It took Gérard Titus-Carmel (1942-present) over a year to finish his work, The Pocket Size Tlingit Coffin. Completed in July of 1976, Coffin is made up of 127 drawings (and one physical model) of various sizes and techniques of the … Continue reading

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Tolkotin Native Americans: Rituals for the End of Life and Burial

Why Native American traditions for death and dying captivated early explorers.

North America, circa 1831: Irishman Ross Cox had long braved his emigration to America and finally published Adventures on the Columbia River. The early explorer’s book is integral to our understanding of the era, and not just because it informs … Continue reading

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Wampanoag Burial Traditions

We revisit the end-of-life practices of one of the most famous Native American tribes

With Thanksgiving underway, we look to the funeral traditions of perhaps the most famous of the Native American peoples: the Wampanoag. It is estimated that these Native Americans lived in the New England region for over 10,000 years, with over … Continue reading

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Remembering Loss and the First Thanksgiving

As we rejoice and give thanks, many are suffering illness or death during the holiday season

Tomorrow in America is our national day of Thanksgiving, a day to gather with family and loved ones to celebrate the beginning of the winter holiday season and to remember all that we’re thankful for in life. Unfortunately, for some, … Continue reading

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