This medal was chosen as the 86th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. The obverse bears a Chilkat chieftain in ceremonial headdress composed of carved wood frontispiece overlaid with pelts, topped with feathers and walrus whiskers. At right, vertical incuse CHILKAT; below collar, SVENSON 72 ©
The reverse bears Tlingit house post depicting the String Boy legend; Cannibal mask on left, Bear Dance mask on right; Diving Whale blanket behind. Above, TLINGIT INDIANS; below, ALASKA.
The Chilkat were a warlike Tlingit tribe that became wealthy by trading furs with their Russian and American neighbors. Svenson was a trustee for Alaska Indian Arts in Port Chilkoot, Alaska, and deeply familiar with Native American Arts of the Northwest. His medal was the third issue of the Society of Medalists that had a Native American theme: Hermon MacNeil's Hopi and Allan Houser's Apache Fire Dance were the other two.
