Louis Shotridge was born about 1882 into a noble Tlingit family and grew to be a bright, handsome youth. His grandfather was a famous Chilkat chief known as Chartrich, and his father was George Shotridge, or Yeilgooxu ("Yel-goo-hu"), the keeper of the Whale House at the turn of the century. Under the matrilineal system of the Tlingits, Louis was born into his mother's clan, the Kaagwaatan, on the Eagle side.
