Tlingit is the name given to about a dozen Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest, including the Sitka, the Chilkat, the Auk and the Huna. In 1799, when the Russians built a fort on Tlingit land in what is now southeast Alaska, the Sitka rose up and drove the Russians out, destroying the fort. Since then, things have not gone as well with these "First People". In 1835, there were about 5,800 Tlingit; today, there are less than 1,000 living on reservations in British Columbia and Alaska.
From the beginning, the Tlingit have had a proud artistic tradition. In fact, the art that these people produced -- and still produce today -- embodies the greatest sculptural achievements of the North American continent. Working in wood, bone, metal, ivory and textiles, their works are often inlaid with shell or metal and painted in strong designs. Among their best known creations are ceremonial masks, used for religious purposes, social control or as expressions of prestige. A number of masks grace the Tlingit color scheme you have chosen to download. (Don't miss the "About Box" hidden a mouse-click away under the main scheme logo on the Kaleidoscope control panel.)
Another major form of Tlingit expression is the totem pole, which serves multiple social functions, including the display of a family's genealogical record, historical and mythological narrative and the association of the commissioner of the pole to the spiritual powers represented by the creatures depicted. I have included two totems on this cybernetic pole: the Thunderbird, prince of the forest's beings -- because it' always a good idea to pay homage to the high man (or woman) on the totem pole -- and the Raven (that's him on the Resize Box), the Trickster, the bringer of light (the Sun) to the world -- becauase I identify with this rapscallion, who I think of as nature's own artist-provacateur.
Thank you for giving Tlingit a try. It has been produced for the Kaleidoscope 1.5 (and later) control panel, created by Gregory D. Landweber and Frederick J. Bass. If you don't have Kaleidoscope, it can be downloaded from Greg's website at http://www.kaleidoscope.net. You can find the rest of my color schemes at my website (http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/5960), along with links to some of my favorite scheme designers and to a small collection of important Kaleidoscope-related files. You can find almost every color scheme ever made, including all of mine, at The Kaleidoscope Scheme Archive (Eric Reid, Webmaster, http://www.kaleidoscope. net/schemes).
The Tlingit package includes the color scheme, a folder of desktop patterns and, unless you chose the "light" version, a complete set of custom icons. After installing Kaleidoscope in your Control Panels folder, simply drop Tlingit in the Kaleidoscope Color Schemes folder which goes in your Extensions folder. Then open the Kaleidoscope control panel and select Tlingit. To install the desktop patterns, open your Desktop Patterns control panel and drop the patterns on the open Desktop Patterns window and select the one you want. (Personally, I like # 1, but to each his or her own!) The new icons will magically appear when you restart your Mac.
Though it should be functional at all color depths, please note that Tlingit will look best on computers capable of 1000s of colors or more.
Tlingit is opinionware; if you have strong feelings about it, send them along via E-mail. As a dedicated Mac-type, I am committed to the pursuit of quality in all things, so let me know what you think -- I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong!
The Small Print: All artwork in this color scheme is copyrighted. Please do not use it for any purpose, without my prior approval. It may be freely distributed as long as it is not altered and this docu mentation accompanies it, and may be included on CD collections, provided that I am given a copy.
