Xunaa Shuká Hít - Huna Tribal House at Bartlett Cove

The Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Ancestors' House) with purple lupine flowers filling the foreground.

A carved clan house stands at the Bartlett Cove shoreline, marking the return of the Huna Łingít to their ancestral Homeland. Xunaa Shuká Hít — roughly 'Huna Ancestors' House' — is the first permanent clan house in Glacier Bay since Łingít villages were destroyed by an advancing glacier over 250 years ago. The Little Ice Age advance of the 1700s overran those villages; after the ice retreated, the Huna Łingít re-established fish camps and villages in the Bay. Today the Tribal House serves as a 'box of knowledge' for Łingít culture, hosting workshops on formline design, woodworking, weaving, song, and dance.

Access & viewing

GPS Coordinates: 58.45549298721174,-135.8801630802464

Conditions & safety

Permits Required: 0

Planning advice

Nearby Attractions: Bartlett Cove, Bartlett Cove Beach Rocks, the Bartlett Cove Public Use Dock, and the Beardslee Islands are close by.
Nearby Facilities: National Park Service headquarters at Bartlett Cove; Bartlett Cove Campground and the Glacier Bay Visitor Center are in the same area.
Best Time To Visit: The park's main visitor season runs late May through early September, with July the peak month; services outside that window may be extremely limited.
Tips Advice: Pair your visit with the nearby Glacier Bay Visitor Center and the Bartlett Cove shoreline.
Look closely at the formline design carving — the house is also a working space for revitalizing Łingít artistic traditions.
This is a living cultural site, not a museum piece; be respectful during workshops and gatherings.
Keep at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife anywhere along the shoreline.
Insider Tips: The house doubles as a working cultural space — Łingít communities hold workshops on formline design, woodworking, weaving, song and dance here, so you may see traditions being practiced, not just displayed.

More details

Park Area: Bartlett Cove
Family Friendly Notes: A sheltered shoreline cultural site at Bartlett Cove; keep kids at required wildlife distances (100 yards from bears) since black bears use the area.
Attraction Type: Cultural Site (Tribal Clan House)
Elevation Feet: 0
How To Get There: The Tribal House stands at Bartlett Cove, the site of National Park Service headquarters in Glacier Bay.
Seasonal Access: The park is technically open 24 hours a day with no entrance gates; the main visitor season is late May through early September, and services may be extremely limited outside it.
Entry Fees: Glacier Bay has no entrance gates and lists no entrance fees.
Main Features: A permanent Łingít clan house memorializing the clan houses that once lined the shores of present-day Bartlett Cove, with Łingít formline artwork.
What Youll See: A carved clan house at the Bartlett Cove shoreline — in season, purple lupine can fill the foreground — and Łingít artistic traditions such as formline design, woodworking, and weaving practiced inside.
Unique Characteristics: First permanent clan house in Glacier Bay since Łingít villages were destroyed by an advancing glacier over 250 years ago — a direct cultural marker of the Little Ice Age glacial advance and retreat.
Safety Considerations: Shoreline site in bear country: keep 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife. Biology, not gravity, is the hazard here.
Best Viewpoints: From the Bartlett Cove shoreline area near NPS headquarters, where the house faces the water.
Photo Opportunities: The house with lupine wildflowers in the foreground is a documented NPS composition; shoreline angles from Bartlett Cove work well.
Photography Spots: The lupine meadow in front of the house and the Bartlett Cove waterfront.
Visitor Center Present: 0
Restrooms Available: 0
Picnic Areas: 0
Interpretive Signs: 0
Water Available: 0
Guided Tours Available: 0
Nearby Services: NPS headquarters and the Glacier Bay Visitor Center are at Bartlett Cove; Gustavus, Alaska is the gateway community.
Common Wildlife: Black bears frequent the Bartlett Cove area, and humpback whales are found in Glacier Bay's waters.
Geological Formation Type: Post-glacial shoreline site (Little Ice Age advance and retreat)
Scientific Interest: The site records the human dimension of the Little Ice Age: villages overrun by the 1700s glacial advance, then reoccupied after retreat — a rare, dated cultural marker of glacial cycling in Glacier Bay.
Winter Access: The park stays technically open 24 hours a day year-round, but services may be extremely limited outside the main visitor season.
Best Visit Times: Outside the July peak — late May, June, or late August into early September — for thinner crowds while services still operate.
Best Season: Late May through early September, the park's main visitor season.
Busiest Season: July is the peak month of the late-May-through-early-September visitor season.
Fishing Nearby: 0
Swimming Allowed: 0
Boating Allowed: 0
Climbing Areas: 0

Location

Frequently asked questions

Is Xunaa Shuká Hít worth visiting if I'm mainly here for glaciers?

Yes — it is the human half of the glacier story. The house is the first permanent clan house in Glacier Bay since an advancing glacier destroyed Łingít villages over 250 years ago, so it puts the ice you came to see in centuries-long context.

Is it open to the public?

Yes, NPS lists the site as open to the public. It sits at Bartlett Cove, the site of park headquarters, and the main visitor season runs late May through early September.

Does it cost anything to visit?

Glacier Bay has no entrance gates and lists no entrance fees, so viewing the Tribal House carries no park entry cost.

What actually happens inside the house?

NPS describes it as a 'box of knowledge' — Łingít communities and organizations use it for cultural workshops on formline design, woodworking, weaving, song and dance, healthy living, and more.

When should I go?

During the main visitor season, late May through early September. July is the peak month; services may be extremely limited outside that window.

Can I take photos?

The exterior is a documented photo subject — NPS's own imagery frames the house behind purple lupine. Be respectful if cultural activities are underway; this is a living clan house, not a static exhibit.

Is it safe to walk around the area with kids?

Bartlett Cove is bear country — black bears use the area — so keep the required 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other wildlife.