Faith
John Goodlataw, an Ahtna man born in 1870 in Chitina, settled in Chickaloon in 1920, worked at various jobs in the area, and died in 1935. He is buried here beneath a Spirit House, a tradition that comes from the mixing of Athabascan and Russian Orthodox beliefs. Relatives must wait at least 40 days after a death before erecting a Spirit House. An Athabascan burial places the deceased with the head upriver, and a blanket is laid on top of the grave under the Spirit House to keep the person warm. Families may use specific colors on Spirit Houses to identify their clan. The use of Spirit Houses has been passed down from generation to generation and continues today. Six more Spirit Houses stand an eighth of a mile west along the Glenn Highway.
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Lazy Mountain, Alaska · United States
