Xunaa Shuká Hít

Overview

About Xunaa Shuká Hít

Xunaa Shuká Hít—Huna Ancestors’ House—anchors the shoreline of Bartlett Cove as a living Tlingit clan house, created through deep partnership between the Hoonah Indian Association and the National Park Service. It’s not a museum-piece; it’s a gathering place where culture is practiced, taught, and shared.

This is the first permanent clan house in Glacier Bay since Tlingit villages were overrun by an advancing glacier more than 250 years ago. Standing here connects the park’s human story to the ice that shaped it.

Why stop

Traditional Tlingit clan house with monumental carvings and totems [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/huna-tribal-house.htm)
Nearby paths feature Tlingit tree carvings, a dugout canoe, and exhibits [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/huna-tribal-house.htm)

Heads up

Programs aren’t guaranteed; the house may be unstaffed when you visit [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/huna-tribal-house.htm)
Interpretive materials can feel limited without live storytelling

The house symbolizes healing and cooperation after a complicated history between the park and the Huna Tlingit. It hosts ceremonies, workshops, camps, and tribal gatherings, while giving visitors a respectful window into Huna Łingít history and lifeways.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy It Matters

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightXunaa Shuká Hít58.45546, -135.88009

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Local know-how

Tips for visiting Xunaa Shuká Hít

Stroll the shoreline paths after the house to find tree carvings and the dugout canoe [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/huna-tribal-house.htm).
Ask at the visitor center if any cultural presentations are happening today [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/huna-tribal-house.htm).
Watch the Cultural Welcome video beforehand to deepen context [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/glba/learn/historyculture/huna-tribal-house-project.htm).
Plan for cool, wet weather—layers and a rain shell are smart.
Photograph in early or late light to bring out the cedar and carvings.

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

Summer is your best bet for occasional talks or guided programs. Aim for early morning or late evening when soft light flatters the cedar and the cove, and when the area is typically quieter. Weather shifts quickly on the coast—layers and rain gear pay off.

How to Visit

It’s an easy stroll from the main Bartlett Cove hub—pair the house with a slow walk along the shoreline paths. Read every panel; the context makes the art sing. Give yourself time to simply stand quietly in front of the façade and carvings.

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Glacier Bay Tour Guide

Your drive to Xunaa Shuká Hít, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier Bay National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Bartlett Cove: The Heart of the Park

Listen

“You're pulling into the Bartlett Cove area, which is the main hub for the park. This is where you'll find the Glacier Bay Lodge, the park's restaurant, and the visitor center.”

Plays as you drive up to Xunaa Shuká Hít in the Parkwolf Glacier Bay Tour Guide.

More about Xunaa Shuká Hít

What You’ll SeeExpect bold formline artwork and monumental carvings: a cedar façade, carved house posts, and…

Expect bold formline artwork and monumental carvings: a cedar façade, carved house posts, and totems. Step outside and wander the shoreline paths to find Tlingit tree carvings, a traditional dugout canoe, and exhibits that tie natural history to living culture.

WildlifeThough you’re here for culture, Bartlett Cove is lively: you might spot bald eagles in…

Though you’re here for culture, Bartlett Cove is lively: you might spot bald eagles in shoreline trees, seals in the cove, and seasonal shorebirds and waterfowl. Black bears or even moose can occasionally roam the nearby forest. Sightings ebb and flow with season and time of day—keep your eyes open.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Glacier Bay

All Glacier Bay wildlife maps

98 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

48 sightingsOrcaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

110 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

312 sightingsSea OtterMost seen around 4 PMSighting map

106 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

93 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier Bay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.