Northern Athabaskan is a geographic sub-grouping of the
Athabaskan language family spoken by indigenous peoples in the northern part of
North America, particularly in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
(
Alaskan Athabaskans
The Alaskan Athabascans, Alaskan Athabascans, Alaskan AthapascansWilliam Simeone, ''A History of Alaskan Athapaskans'', 1982, Alaska Historical Commission or Dena (russian: атабаски Аляски, атапаски Аляски) are Alaska ...
),
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
, and the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. The Northern Athabaskan languages consist of 31 languages that can be divided into seven geographic subgroups.
Southern Alaskan
: 1.
Ahtna
The Ahtna (also Ahtena, Atna, Ahtna-kohtaene, or Copper River) are an Alaska Native Athabaskan people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. The people's homeland called Atna Nenn', is located in the Copper River area of southern ...
(also known as Atna, Ahtena, Copper River)
::* Central Copper River Ahtna
::* Lower Copper River Ahtna
::* Mentasta (also known as Upper Ahtna)
::* Western Ahtna
: 2.
Dena’ina (also known as Tanaina)
::* Lower Inlet Dena’ina
::: - Outer Inlet
::: - Iliamna
::: - Inland
::* Upper Inlet Dena’ina
Central Alaska–Yukon
A. Koyukon
: 3.
Deg Xinag
Deg Xinag (Deg Hitan) is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Deg Hitʼan peoples of the GASH region. The GASH region consists of the villages of Grayling, Anvik, Shageluk, and Holy Cross along the lower Yukon River in Interior Alaska. ...
(also known as Deg Hit'an, Kaiyuhkhotana, Ingalik)
::* Lower Yukon River
::* Middle Kuskokwin
: 4.
Holikachuk (also known as Innoko, Innoka-khotana, Tlëgon-khotana)
: 5.
Koyukon (also known as Ten’a, Co-Youkon, Co-yukon)
::* Lower Koyukon (also known as Lower Yukon Koyukon)
::* Central Koyukon (also known as Dinaakkanaaga Ts’inh Huyoza, Koyukuk River Koyukon)
::* Upper Koyukon (also known as Upper Yukon Koyukon)
B. Tanana–Tutchone
: 6.
Upper Kuskokwim (also known as Kolchan, Goltsan)
: I.
Tanana
:: 7.
Lower Tanana (also known as Tanana, Minto, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
:::* Minto-Tolovana-Toklat-Nenana-Wood River
:::: - Minto-Tolovana
:::: - Toklat
:::: - Nenana
:::: - Wood River
:::* Chena
:::* Salcha-Goodpastor
:: 8.
Tanacross (also known as Tanana, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
:: 9.
Upper Tanana (also known as Tanana, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
:::* Nabesna
:::* Tetlin
:::* Northway
:::* Scottie Creek
:::* Canadian Upper Tanana
: II.
Tutchone (also known as Gens de Bois, Gunana, Nahane, Nahani, Tutchonekutchin)
:: 10. Southern Tutchone (sometimes considered to be just a dialect)
:: 11. Northern Tutchone (also known as Mayo) (sometimes considered to be just a dialect)
C. Kutchin–Han
: 12.
Gwich’in (also known as Gwitch’in, Kutchin, Kootchin, Loucheux, Loucheaux, Takudh, Tukudh, "Quarrelers")
::* Alaskan Gwich’in (also known as Western Gwich’in)
::* Canadian Gwich’in (also known as Eastern Gwich’in)
: 13.
Hän (also known as Han, Moosehide, Dawson, Gens du Fou, Han Gwich-in, Han-Kootchin, Hankutchin)
Northwestern Canada
A. Cordillera
: I. Central Cordillera (also known as Tahltan-Tagish-Kaska)
:: 14.
Tagish (also known as Gunana, Nahane, Nahani, Si-him-E-na, "Stick Indians", Tagisch, Tahgish, Tahkeesh, Tahk-heesh)
:: 15.
Tahltan (also known as Nahanni, Keyehotine, Nahane, Nahani, Tahl-tan, Tatltan, Ticaxhanoten, Toltan)
:: 16.
Kaska (also known as Nahanni, Nahane, Nahani, Cassiar)
: II. Southeastern Cordillera
:: 17.
Sekani
:: 18.
Danezaa (also known as Beaver, Tsattine, Dunne-za, Deneza, Gens de Castor)
B. Mackenzie
: I.
Slavey–Hare (v Slave)
:: 19. Slavey (also known as Slavey proper, South Slavey, Southern Slavey, Dene Tha, Esclave, Nahane, Nahani, Slave)
:: 20. Mountain (also known as Montagnards, Nahane, Nahani, Sih gotine, Sihta gotine)
:: 21. Bearlake (also known as Satudine, Sahtu gotine, Bear Lake)
:: 22. Hare (also known as Kawchottine, Ka so gotine, Kancho, Kawchodinneh, Rabbitskins, Ta-na-tin-ne)
: 23.
Dogrib (also known as Tli Cho, Tłįchǫ or Thlingchadine)
C. Chipewyan
: 24.
Dene Suline
Chipewyan or Denesuline (ethnonym: ), often simply called Dene, is the language spoken by the Chipewyan people of northwestern Canada. It is categorized as part of the Northern Athabaskan language family. Dënësųłinë́ has nearly 12,000 ...
(also known as Chipewyan, Dëne Sųłiné, Dene, Yellowknife, Montagnais, "Northern Indians", Copper Indians, Coppermine Indians, Mithcocoman, Red Knife, T’atsan ottine, Tatsotine, Yellow Knife)
Tsetsaut
: 25.
Tsetsaut The Tsetsaut (Nisga'a language: ''Jits'aawit''; in the Tsetsaut language: ''Wetaŀ'' or ''Wetaɬ'') were an Athabaskan-speaking group whose territory was around the head of the Portland Canal, straddling what is now the boundary between the US stat ...
(also known as Ts’ets’aut, Nahane, Nahani, Portland Canal, Wetalth)
Central British Columbia
: 26.
Babine-Witsuwit'en (also known as North Carrier, Babine Carrier, Northern Carrier, Bulkley Valley, Lakes District, Western Carrier)
::*
Babine (also known as Nadot’en, Nedut’en, Nat’oot’en)
::*
Takla
::*
Witsuwit’en (also known as Wetsuwet’en, Wets’uwet’en, Wet’suwet’en)
::*
Moricetown
::*
Francois Lake
: 27.
Dakelh
The Dakelh (pronounced ) or Carrier are the indigenous people of a large portion of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.
The "Carrier" name was derived from an English translation of ''Aghele'', the name from the neighbouring Sekani ...
(also known as Carrier, Dakelhne, Takelne, Takulli, Taculli, Takulie, Porteur, Nagailer)
::*
Central Carrier (also known as Upper Carrier)
::*
Southern Carrier (also known as Lower Carrier)
: 28.
Chilcotin (also known as Tsilhqot’in, Tinneh, Chilkhodins, Tsilkotin)
: 29.
Nicola (also known as
Stuwix
The Nicola people are a First Nations political and cultural alliance in the Nicola Country region of the Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia. They are mostly located in the Nicola River valley around the area of Merri ...
, Nicola-Similkameen) (extinct)
Sarsi
: 30.
Sarsi (also known as Sarcee, Tsuu T’ina, or Tsuut’ina)
Kwalhioqua–Tlatskanai
: 31.
Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie (also known as Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanie)
::*
Willapa (also known as Willoopah)
::*
Suwal-Clatskanie
::: -
Suwal
::: -
Clatskanie (also known as Tlatskanie)
References
Bibliography
* See:
Athabaskan languages#Bibliography.
External links
Map of Northern Athabaskan dialects{{Athabaskan languages
Indigenous languages of Alaska