Featured in this lot is this 1950s seal skin and beaded pouch from the Tlingit tribe. Native Americans known as the Tlingit have historically lived along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, in what is now Alaska, Canada, and the state of Washington. The term "Lingit" used by the Tlingit people for themselves translates to "People of the Tides." The Tlingit have a rich cultural heritage that consists of storytelling, music, art, and a strong bond with nature. They lived in small communities along the coast and relied on fishing, hunting, and gathering as their main modes of subsistence. Clans were an important part of Tlingit society, which had a complex social and political structure. Each clan had its own hereditary chieftains, special rights and obligations. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, European explorers and traders significantly altered Tlingit culture. Many of the Tlingit's traditional practices and beliefs were lost or altered as a result of their forced adaptation to new economic, social, and political realities. The Tlingit people still uphold their cultural practices today, and the US government recognizes them as a sovereign nation. They have a sizable presence in Alaska and engage in a variety of social, cultural, and economic endeavors. This pouch shows a cloth construction with seal skin on the front. Above the seal skin is a purple cloth border. The top of the pouch shows red cloth with a beaded image of a flower. The flower shows colors of deep blue, light blue, red, white, green and orange. The border of the pouch is black and shows groups of three clear beads surrounding the entire pouch. the top of the pouch features a small cloth loop for attaching the pouch to a pack or a belt. The pouch shows good condition for its vintage age with very slight wear to the seal skin, but no obvious signs of damage can be seen. The pouch measures 8 1/2" L x 4 7/8" W.