Troth Yeddha' is the name of the prominent ridge on which the
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-grant research university in College, Alaska, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was established in 1917 and opened for cla ...
is currently located. In February 2013, the US Board of Geographic Names approved the University supported proposal to officially rename the ridge.
The name is derived from the
Lower Tanana Athabascan words ''troth'', meaning 'Indian potato' or 'wild potato' (''
Hedysarum alpinum
''Hedysarum alpinum'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name alpine sweetvetch. It is called ''masu'' in the Iñupiaq language. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitude ...
'') and ''yeddha, meaning 'ridge'.
The 2200 acre east-west trending ridge has had no official name. Portions of the ridge are referred to unofficially in English as 'College Hill' or 'University Ridge'.
[Bishop, Sam. 1985. The Old Country: Alaska Native Place Names tell History of an Ancient People. Fairbanks Daily New-Miner, June 30]
http://www.uaf.edu/anla/item.xml?id=TN985B1985
/ref>
The name Troth Yeddha' is one of a suite of Lower Tanana place names in the university area reflecting the base ''troth''. These include:
* ''Tr'exwghodegi Troth Yeddha' Bena – Smith Lake (literally: 'upper wild potato ridge lake')
* ''Tr'exwghotthigi Troth Yeddha' Bena – Ballaine Lake (literally: 'lower wild potato ridge lake')
* ''Troth Ghotthiit'' – Geist Road - Fairbanks Street area (literally: 'toward the water from Indian potato')
In 2008 the University of Alaska Fairbanks dedicated the land between the Museum of the North and the Reichart Building as Troth Yeddha' Park. A design for the park is being developed.
References
External links
* Alaska Native Language Cente
Troth Yeddha' page
* Troth Yeddha' in th
Official GNIS Name Entry
{{University of Alaska Fairbanks
Landforms of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Ridges of Alaska