Agavoideae: Sisal hemp, from A. sisalana, is the most-valuable hard fibre. Henequen fibre is obtained from A. fourcroyoides and cantala, or Manila-Maguey fibre, from A. cantala. Some species of Agave, notably A. tequilana, contain a sap that is fermented to produce alcoholic drinks,

Sanandaj, city, capital of Kordestan province, northwestern Iran. It is located at an elevation of 4,990 feet (1,521 metres) at the foot of Mount Abidar. The city was called Sisar, meaning “30 heads,” in the itineraries of Ibn Khuradādhbih and Qudāmeh. The population is mostly Kurdish. The city was

iridosmine: …osmium than iridium are called siserskite. Both iridosmine and siserskite crystallize in the hexagonal system. For detailed properties, see native element (table).

Sishu, four ancient Confucian texts that were used as official subject matter for civil service examinations in China from 1313 to 1905 and that usually serve to introduce Chinese students to Confucian literature. Students later turn to the more extensive and, generally speaking, more difficult

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is an Egyptian military officer who became Egypt’s de facto leader in July 2013, after the country’s military removed Pres. Mohammed Morsi from power following mass protests against his rule. Sisi was elected president in May 2014 and elected to a second term in March 2018.

Sisimiut, town on the west-central coast of Greenland, near the mouth of Amerloq Fjord. The Danish settled the site in 1764, and a church (still standing) was built in 1773. The Gammelhuset (Old House), constructed in 1756, served as the residence of the first Danish governor of Greenland.

Archelaus was the last king of Cappadocia (reigned 36 bc–c. ad 17), a Roman client during the late republic and the early empire. Although granted the kingdom by Mark Antony, Archelaus retained his crown by making peace with Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) after Antony’s defeat at the Battle

Tattenai was the Persian governor of the province west of the Euphrates River (eber nāri, “beyond the river”) during the reign of Darius I (522–486 bce). According to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) Book of Ezra, Tattenai led an investigation into the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem about

Sisinnius was a pope from Jan. 15 to Feb. 4, 708. He was consecrated about Jan. 15, 708. Threatened by the exarch of Ravenna, the Lombards, and the Muslims, Sisinnius ordered the walls of Rome reinforced. He was buried in St. Peter’s

Anatolia: The Cimmerians, Lydia, and Cilicia, c. 700–547 bce: …prince of Kundu (Cyinda) and Sissu (Sisium, modern Sis), who had allied himself with Phoenician rebels against Assyrian rule. The regions to the north of the Cilician plain repeatedly caused trouble for Assyria. Early in the reign of Ashurbanipal (668–627), however, another Cimmerian invasion threatened the Anatolian states, arousing such…

Roger Ebert: …Ebert & the Movies (later Siskel & Ebert). As part of his on-air commentary, Ebert originated the famed thumbs-up, thumbs-down rating system, and the phrase “two thumbs up” was later copyrighted. Each week Ebert and Siskel carried on unscripted discussions of the films they reviewed, and their immense popularity was…

Roger Ebert: …Ebert & the Movies (later Siskel & Ebert). As part of his on-air commentary, Ebert originated the famed thumbs-up, thumbs-down rating system, and the phrase “two thumbs up” was later copyrighted. Each week Ebert and Siskel carried on unscripted discussions of the films they reviewed, and their immense popularity was…

Gene Siskel was an American journalist and film critic for the Chicago Tribune who became one of the most-influential movie reviewers in the United States when he teamed up with fellow film critic Roger Ebert from the rival Chicago Sun-Times on a weekly television program. Their signature “thumbs

Gene Siskel was an American journalist and film critic for the Chicago Tribune who became one of the most-influential movie reviewers in the United States when he teamed up with fellow film critic Roger Ebert from the rival Chicago Sun-Times on a weekly television program. Their signature “thumbs

siskin, any of about 20 small brown-streaked birds, marked with yellow, that belong chiefly to the genus Carduelis (including Spinus) of the family Fringillidae. Siskins occur from cold northern regions, worldwide, to the Cape of Good Hope and to Cape Horn. All have conical bills and short forked

Aaron Siskind was an influential American teacher, editor, and photographer who is best known for his innovations in abstract photography. Siskind began to photograph in 1932, while he was an English teacher in the New York City public-school system. As a member of the Photo League, he participated

George Sisler was an American professional baseball player, considered by some the greatest of all first basemen. As a student at the University of Michigan, Sisler excelled in baseball, football, and basketball. He entered the major leagues directly with the St. Louis Browns of the American League

George Sisler was an American professional baseball player, considered by some the greatest of all first basemen. As a student at the University of Michigan, Sisler excelled in baseball, football, and basketball. He entered the major leagues directly with the St. Louis Browns of the American League

Alfred Sisley painter who was one of the creators of French Impressionism. Although his wealthy English parents had originally intended him for commerce, Sisley began painting as an amateur, and in Charles Gleyre’s studio in 1862 he began his association with Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir,

J.-C.-L. Simonde de Sismondi was a Swiss economist and historian who warned against the perils of unchecked industrialism. His pioneering theories on the nature of economic crises and the risks of limitless competition, overproduction, and underconsumption influenced such later economists as Karl

J.-C.-L. Simonde de Sismondi was a Swiss economist and historian who warned against the perils of unchecked industrialism. His pioneering theories on the nature of economic crises and the risks of limitless competition, overproduction, and underconsumption influenced such later economists as Karl

chloritoid: … the magnesium-rich variety is called sismondine. For chemical formula and detailed properties, see mica (table).

Udaipur: …in the 8th century by Sisodia Rajputs (warrior rulers of the historic region of Rajputana). The dynasty later made a long resistance to the Muslim invasions. In the 18th century the state suffered from internal dissension and incursions by the Marathas. It came under British paramountcy in 1818. In 1948…

ostariophysan: Annotated classification: Family Sisoridae (mountain-stream catfishes) Ventral surface flat; thorax with longitudinal plates or adhesive organ. Size to 30 cm (12 inches). Asia. 17 genera, at least 112 species. Family Clariidae (air-breathing catfishes) Long dorsal and anal fins without spines; adipose fin usually lacking. Treelike air-breathing organ. Food

Sisowath was the king of Cambodia from 1904 until his death. He was a figurehead for the French colonial administration, which had secured the protectorate over Cambodia in a treaty signed by Sisowath’s half-brother Norodom in 1863. With Norodom, Sisowath received his education under the

Sisowath was the king of Cambodia from 1904 until his death. He was a figurehead for the French colonial administration, which had secured the protectorate over Cambodia in a treaty signed by Sisowath’s half-brother Norodom in 1863. With Norodom, Sisowath received his education under the

The Difference Between a Tribe and a Band: …those tribes, such as the Sisseton (Dakota), Sicangu (Lakota), and Yankton (Nakota), came to be called bands.

Noble Sissle was an American lyricist, vocalist, bandleader, and civic official who was best known for his work with pianist and composer Eubie Blake, with whom he cocreated Shuffle Along, the 1921 musical comedy that broke from the caricatured imagery of blackface minstrelsy to restore authentic

Noble Sissle was an American lyricist, vocalist, bandleader, and civic official who was best known for his work with pianist and composer Eubie Blake, with whom he cocreated Shuffle Along, the 1921 musical comedy that broke from the caricatured imagery of blackface minstrelsy to restore authentic

Delhi: City site: The sissoo (shisham; Dalbergia sissoo) tree, which yields a dark brown and durable timber, is commonly found in the plains. Riverine vegetation, consisting of weeds and grass, occurs on the banks of the Yamuna. New Delhi is known for its flowering shade trees, such as the neem (Azadirachta…

Anatolia: The Cimmerians, Lydia, and Cilicia, c. 700–547 bce: …prince of Kundu (Cyinda) and Sissu (Sisium, modern Sis), who had allied himself with Phoenician rebels against Assyrian rule. The regions to the north of the Cilician plain repeatedly caused trouble for Assyria. Early in the reign of Ashurbanipal (668–627), however, another Cimmerian invasion threatened the Anatolian states, arousing such…

Missy Elliott: …DeVante Swing signed Elliott’s group, Sista, to his Swing Mob Records label. Lack of funds prevented the release of Sista’s debut album, however, and the group subsequently broke up. Elliott teamed up with childhood friend Timbaland to cowrite and coproduce songs for the American rhythm-and-blues artists Jodeci and Aaliyah. Elliott…

Sīstān, extensive border region, eastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan. Forty percent of its area is in Iran, as well as the majority of its sparse population. The region comprises a large depression some 1,500–1,700 feet (450–520 m) in elevation. Numerous rivers fill a series of lagoons

Sīstān, extensive border region, eastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan. Forty percent of its area is in Iran, as well as the majority of its sparse population. The region comprises a large depression some 1,500–1,700 feet (450–520 m) in elevation. Numerous rivers fill a series of lagoons

Ali al-Sistani is an Iranian-born Shiʿi cleric and a leader of the Iraqi Shiʿi community. Born to a prominent religious family, Sistani studied the Qurʾān from a young age. In his early 20s he left Iran to continue his studies in Iraq, becoming a disciple of Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei in

Ali al-Sistani is an Iranian-born Shiʿi cleric and a leader of the Iraqi Shiʿi community. Born to a prominent religious family, Sistani studied the Qurʾān from a young age. In his early 20s he left Iran to continue his studies in Iraq, becoming a disciple of Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei in

Viktor Rydberg: …which Den siste Atenaren (The Last Athenian), the novel that made his name, appeared serially in 1859. Its description of the clash between paganism and Christianity in ancient Athens revealed his opposition to clerical intolerance and orthodoxy and had a direct bearing on conditions in Sweden. He had previously…

Lofoten: …in Den siste viking (1921; Last of the Vikings, 1923).

Latin American Economic System (SELA), association formed to promote economic cooperation and development throughout the region of Latin America. Established in 1975 through the Panama Convention, SELA succeeded the Special Committee for Latin American Coordination (CECLA). Nearly 30 Latin American

Baetic Cordillera, mountain system comprising the Andalusian mountains of southeastern Spain. The northern range (called pre-Baetic in Andalusia and sub-Baetic in Valencia) runs about 360 miles (580 km) from Cape Trafalgar in Andalusia to Cape Nao in Valencia, and it continues in a submerged form

The Periodic Table, collection of memoirs by Primo Levi, published in Italian as Il sistema periodico in 1975 and regarded as his masterwork. It is a cycle of 21 autobiographical stories, each named after and inspired by a chemical element. To Levi, who was a chemist as well as a writer, each

Sister Carrie, first novel by Theodore Dreiser, published in 1900 but suppressed until 1912. Sister Carrie is a work of pivotal importance in American literature, and it became a model for subsequent American writers of realism. Sister Carrie tells the story of a rudderless but pretty small-town

Los Angeles: City site: …beach community of Venice to Mount Lukens, which rises above 5,100 feet (1,550 metres). The city started in 1781 as a tiny village of 28 square miles (73 square km) but expanded greatly through a series of annexations when it first established an ironclad legal monopoly over the Los Angeles…

C.K. Stead: …Death of the Body (1986), Sister Hollywood (1989), The End of the Century at the End of the World (1992), Villa Vittoria (1997), and Talking About O’Dwyer (1999). The historical novels Mansfield, with writer Katherine Mansfield as its subject, and My Name Was Judas were published in 2004 and 2006,

Rosalind Russell: …playing the title role in Sister Kenny (1946), about the Australian nurse Elizabeth Kenny, who developed a novel way to treat infantile paralysis. Russell appeared opposite Michael Redgrave in the film version of Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), garnering another Oscar nomination.

Elizabeth Kenny: …American colleagues, she opened the Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis, and the Kenny method earned wide acclaim. Kenny subsequently became one of America’s most admired women of her era and was given honorary degrees and invited to deliver talks.

Alex Chilton: Big Star’s final album, Third (also released as Sister Lovers; 1978), was a dark, meandering affair that lacked the focus of its predecessors. In spite of this, songs such as “Kangaroo” offered a glimpse of the noise-pop sound that would emerge in the 1980s with groups such as the…

Sister Irene Fitzgibbon was an American Roman Catholic nun who established programs in New York City for the welfare of foundling children and unwed mothers. Fitzgibbon immigrated to the United States with her parents in 1832 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In 1850 she entered the novitiate of

Joni Sledge: …Kathy, of the R&B group Sister Sledge, best known for its smash 1979 disco hit “We Are Family.”

conservation: Calculating background extinction rates: Taxonomists call such related species sister taxa, following the analogy that they are splits from their “parent” species.

Sister Wendy Beckett: Four years later Sister Wendy’s American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums. In addition to her work on the small screen, Sister Wendy continued to write art books, including The Story of Painting (1994) and Sister Wendy’s American Masterpieces (2000). Maintaining her vow of poverty, she donated…

Sister Wendy Beckett: Two other series on art, Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour (1994) and Sister Wendy’s Story of Painting (1997), appeared on the BBC and were soon shown throughout Europe.

Sister Wendy Beckett: … (BBC) producer, and in 1992 Sister Wendy’s Odyssey made its debut. The series followed a simple format: Sister Wendy stood next to an artwork and gave her reaction to the piece. With humour and a gift for storytelling, she brought life and drama to the work. The series was a…

Sister Wendy Beckett: …Wendy’s Grand Tour (1994) and Sister Wendy’s Story of Painting (1997), appeared on the BBC and were soon shown throughout Europe.

Anne Ayres: …organized in 1852 as the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion, with Sister Anne as “First Sister.” The sisters adopted regulation dress but no habits and, instead of vows, made pledges of service, renewable in three-year terms.

Raina Telgemeier: Sisters was published in 2014. Another memoir, it centres on Telgemeier’s fraught relationship with her younger sister, Amara, and relates the time Telgemeier and her family took a road trip from their home in San Francisco to Colorado. Telgemeier returned to fiction in Ghosts (2016).…

Brian De Palma: The 1970s: …to make the cult thriller Sisters, which starred Margot Kidder in a dual role as separated Siamese twin sisters, one of whom is a killer. It was the first of De Palma’s many homages to Hitchcock, featuring aspects of Psycho (1960) and Rear Window (1954) and music by Bernard Herrmann,…

Uzbekistan: Cultural life: 1921), whose Socialist Realist novel Apä singillär (Sisters; original and translation published during the 1950s), has been translated into English and other languages. Mukhtar, along with others of his generation, effectively encouraged the creative efforts of younger Uzbek poets and authors, a group far less burdened than their elders by…

David Storey: …art master; Mother’s Day (1976); Sisters (1978); Early Days (1980); and The March on Russia (1989).

Tina Fey: …at their childhood home in Sisters (2015). After narrating the nature documentary Monkey Kingdom (2015), Fey portrayed a reporter who is sent to cover the Afghanistan War in the dark comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016). She had guest spots on various TV shows and a recurring role in the series…

Jacques Audiard: …helmed Les Frères Sisters (The Sisters Brothers), a crime comedy set in the American West during the 1850s.

Sara Paretsky: …the mid-1980s Paretsky helped found Sisters in Crime to promote the work of other women mystery writers and to challenge the publication of crime stories marred by gratuitous violence against women. She edited A Woman’s Eye, a collection of crime stories by women, in 1991. Writing in an Age of…

Italian literature: The return to order: …and Sorelle Materassi (1934; The Sisters Materassi), reached the height of his storytelling powers. Meanwhile, the Florentine literary reviews Solaria, Frontespizio, and Letteratura, while having to tread carefully with the authorities, provided an outlet for new talent. Carlo Emilio Gadda had his first narrative work (

Sister Simone Campbell: …vows 1973) after joining the Sisters of Social Service (1964), an international Roman Catholic community rooted in the Benedictine tradition. She received a bachelor’s degree (1969) from Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, and a doctorate in law (1977) from the University of California, Davis, where she was the editor…

bell hooks: …for Black women called the Sisters of the Yam, which she later used as the title of a book, published in 1993, celebrating Black sisterhood. Her other writings included Feminist Theory from Margin to Center (1984), Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black (1989), Black Looks: Race and Representation (1992), Killing…

Wendy Wasserstein: The Sisters Rosensweig (1992) continues the theme into middle age. Later plays include An American Daughter (1997) and Third (2005).

Anatole Litvak: The Hollywood years: In The Sisters (1938), a solid drama set in the early 1900s, Bette Davis played a woman unhappily married to a reporter (Errol Flynn) while her siblings (Anita Louise and Jane Bryan) struggle with their own problems. More topical was Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939),…

James Joyce: Early life: Three stories—“The Sisters,” “Eveline,” and “After the Race”—had appeared under the pseudonym Stephen Daedalus before Russell decided that Joyce’s work was not suitable for his readers.

Sistine Chapel, papal chapel in the Vatican Palace that was erected in 1473–81 by the architect Giovanni dei Dolci for Pope Sixtus IV (hence its name). It is famous for its Renaissance frescoes by Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel is a rectangular brick building with six arched windows on each of

Sistine Chapel, papal chapel in the Vatican Palace that was erected in 1473–81 by the architect Giovanni dei Dolci for Pope Sixtus IV (hence its name). It is famous for its Renaissance frescoes by Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel is a rectangular brick building with six arched windows on each of

Sistine Madonna, oil painting created in 1513–14 by Raphael, master painter of the Italian High Rensaissance. The painting was one of the artist’s final Madonnas. The putti at the bottom of the painting have become one of the best-known images in the history of art. Raphael’s dramatic masterpiece

Emma: Legacy: …Murphy as Tai (Harriet), and Jeremy Sisto as Elton (Mr. Elton). Unlike the original novel, Clueless is set in Beverly Hills, California, in the mid-1990s. The film achieved cult status in the 21st century. Other notable screen adaptations of Emma were released in 1996 and 2009.

Svishtov, town, northern Bulgaria, on the terraced bank of the Danube River. Svishtov is one of the largest Bulgarian Danube ports and is a cultural centre. The Romans built on a strategic site near the town in the 1st century ad. There is little historical record of the town during the First and

Austria: Conflicts with revolutionary France, 1790–1805: …concluded until August 1791 (Treaty of Sistova). (See also Jassy, Treaty of.)

sistrum, percussion instrument, a rattle consisting of a wood, metal, or clay frame set loosely with crossbars (often hung with jingles) that sound when the instrument is shaken. A handle is attached to the frame. In ancient Egypt, sistrums were either temple-shaped or had a closed-horseshoe shape.

rattlesnake: …to a more primitive genus, Sistrurus, which includes the North American massasauga (S. catenatus) and pygmy rattler (S. miliarius). These rattlesnakes have nine large scales on the upper surface of their heads.

massasauga, (Sistrurus catenatus), small North American rattlesnake of the family Viperidae, found in prairies, swamps, and woodlands from the Great Lakes to Arizona. It is typically 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 inches) long. The massasauga may be totally black but is more commonly gray or tan with rows

rattlesnake: catenatus) and pygmy rattler (S. miliarius). These rattlesnakes have nine large scales on the upper surface of their heads.

South Asian arts: The mahākāvya: His Śiśupālavadha (“The Slaying of King Śiśupāla”) is based on an episode of the Mahābhārata in which the rival King Śiśupāla insults the hero-god Krishna, who beheads him in the ensuing duel. Māgha is a master of technique in the strict Sanskrit sense of luscious descriptions;…

Eswatini: Ethnic groups: The language is siSwati, which is akin to Zulu, though it shares official status with English, which is in fact used generally for official written communication.

rocket, (genus Sisymbrium), genus of 90 species of plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Rockets are often weedy and are common in waste areas and fields of the Northern Hemisphere and mountains in the Southern Hemisphere. The plants bear white or yellow four-petaled flowers and produce

rocket: Tumble mustard, or tall rocket (S. altissimum), is also naturalized in North America and forms a tumbleweed as it dries. London rocket (S. irio) has been used in folk medicine and is considered an invasive species in many places outside its native Eurasian range.

rocket: Hedge mustard (S. officinale), also a Eurasian species, has pods close to the stem and is naturalized in North America. Tumble mustard, or tall rocket (S. altissimum), is also naturalized in North America and forms a tumbleweed as it dries. London rocket (S. irio) has…

rocket: Eastern rocket, or Indian hedge mustard (S. orientale), is a Eurasian annual some 30–60 cm (1–2 feet) tall with long pods and clusters of small flowers at the stem tip. Hedge mustard (S. officinale), also a Eurasian species, has pods close to the stem and…

Sisyphus, In Homer’s Iliad, Book VI, Sisyphus, living at Ephyre (later Corinth), was the son of Aeolus (eponymous ancestor of the Aeolians) and the father of Glaucus. In post-Homeric times he was called the father of Odysseus through his seduction of Anticleia. Both men were characterized as

spongillafly, (family Sisyridae), any of a group of insects (order Neuroptera) that are smoky brown in colour and resemble lacewings. Females deposit clusters of eggs under a silky web near or on the water. The larva lives as a parasite on a freshwater sponge. It leaves the water when fully grown

blue-eyed grass, (genus Sisyrinchium), genus of the more than 75 species of perennial grasslike plants of the iris family (Iridaceae) native to the Americas and the Caribbean. Despite their common name, the plants are not true grasses. They bear starry, yellow, white, or blue to violet flowers with

blue-eyed grass: Common blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), from North America and the West Indies, has been naturalized in parts of Europe. The plant has tall (50-centimetre [20-inch]) flower stems that bear 2-centimetre (about 1-inch) yellow-eyed blooms. Western blue-eyed grass (S. bellum) extends from western Mexico to Oregon…

blue-eyed grass: Western blue-eyed grass (S. bellum) extends from western Mexico to Oregon and has flowers that range in colour from blue to purple. Blue pigroot (S. micranthum) is found throughout South and Central America and parts of Mexico and has naturalized elsewhere. Another South American species,…

blue-eyed grass: Blue pigroot (S. micranthum) is found throughout South and Central America and parts of Mexico and has naturalized elsewhere. Another South American species, the pale yellow-eyed grass, or Argentine blue-eyed grass (S. striatum), bears a spike up to 90 cm (35 inches) tall with clusters…

blue-eyed grass: Another South American species, the pale yellow-eyed grass, or Argentine blue-eyed grass (S. striatum), bears a spike up to 90 cm (35 inches) tall with clusters of creamy white blooms.

figure skating: Spins: A sit spin is done in sitting position, with the body supported by the leg that controls the spin as the free leg extends beside the bent skating leg. The layback spin, usually performed by women, requires an upright position; the skater arches her back and…

Peter Chelčický: …most fully expounded in his Šít Víry (1440; “Net of the Faith”), gave rise to the sect of the Bohemian Brethren. The utopian, anarchistic vein of his thought influenced the novelist Leo Tolstoy.

sit-in: …similar to the sit-in, the sit-down, has been used by unions to occupy plants of companies that were being struck. The sit-down was first used on a large scale in the United States during the United Automobile Workers’ strike against the General Motors Corporation in 1937. See also civil disobedience.

sit-in, a tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience. The demonstrators enter a business or a public place and remain seated until forcibly evicted or until their grievances are answered. Attempts to terminate the essentially passive sit-in often appear brutal, thus arousing sympathy for the

sit-in movement, nonviolent movement of the U.S. civil rights era that began in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960. The sit-in, an act of civil disobedience, was a tactic that aroused sympathy for the demonstrators among moderates and uninvolved individuals. African Americans (later joined by

Sita, in Hinduism, the consort of the god Rama. Her abduction by the demon king Ravana and subsequent rescue are the central incidents in the great Hindu epic Ramayana (“Rama’s Journey”). Sita was raised by King Janaka; she was not his natural daughter but sprang from a furrow when he was ploughing

South Asian arts: Parsi theatre: Among his famous plays are Sita Banbas, based on an incident from the Ramayana; Bilwa Mangal, a social play on the life of a poet, whose blind passion for a prostitute results in remorse; and Aankh ka Nasha (“The Witchery of the Eyes”), about the treachery of a prostitute’s love,…

Tshangs-pa Dkar-po, in Tibetan Buddhism, one of the eight fierce protection deities. See

Mendenhall Glacier, blue ice sheet, 12 miles (19 km) long, southeastern Alaska, U.S. It was originally named Sitaantaagu (“the Glacier Behind the Town”) or Aak’wtaaksit (“the Glacier Behind the Little Lake”) by the Tlingit Indians. Naturalist John Muir later called it Auke (Auk) Glacier, for the