Shg̱agwei (Rough/Wrinkled-up Water)

Shgagwei, once a gold rush town and now a busy tourist town, was previoulsy a hunting and fishing settlement owned by the Tlingit Lukaax̱.ádi. It’s Tlingit name comes from the effect of the strong north wind that can blow here, causing heavy seas and whitecaps. One story behind this name involves a Tlingit warrior who became stuck trying to travel up Taiya inlet in the face of a strong north wind. He spoke to the wind like a woman, and gave her the name Shgagwei. The north wind responded by appearing to him as a woman, and the two made love. Afterward, the wind calmed, leaving small ripples called Kanagoo, the children of Shgagwei. They are said to run along the water “like steam” in the aftermath of the north wind. [6]