As a tribute to Xáat Kwáani (Salmon People), Alaska Airlines has unveiled a special 737-800 depicting the ancestral importance of salmon through Northwest Coast formline art. The livery design, by Crystal Worl, honors salmon, culture and language.
On the side of the plane it reads: “Xáat Kwáani, which means “Salmon People” in the Alaskan Tlingit language and refers to “the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon and all of us who benefit from their stewardship of the environment.”
The plane entered into passenger service May 12 with an inaugural flight from Anchorage through Southeast Alaska. (Alaska Airlines photo)
Why it matters: It’s the first airplane in the history of any domestic airline to be named in an Alaska Native language and to depict the ancestral importance through Northwest Coast formline art, according to Alaska Airlines.
An artist perspective: “I want people to look at it and feel proud of being Alaskan and being a part of this community and being inclusive of this beautiful culture that we have that’s so worth sharing,” Worl said.
The livery design, by Crystal Worl, honors salmon, culture and language. (Alaska Airlines photo)
Indigenous culture at Boeing: “Having indigenous culture represented on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 warms my heart,” said Taylor Thomas Ghunaaneistí Beck, co-chair of the Boeing Employees Indigenous Network (BE-IN) St. Louis chapter and F-15 Center/Aft Fuselage structures design engineer.
“At one point in time, the Lingít language was in danger of becoming extinct,” he continued. “Having the plane named in Lingít, and seeing that on the side of the plane alongside the beautiful formline design, is truly a significant milestone.”
Go deeper: Learn more about the artist honoring the Xáat Kwáani and watch the design come to life.
- For more information about BE-IN, please visit the BE-IN enterprise InSite page.
By Adam Mertz