The Denaʼina ( ; Inland
Denaʼina: ; Upper Inlet Denaʼina: ; ), or formerly Tanaina (), are an
Alaska Native
Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
Athabaskan
Athabaskan ( ; also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large branch of the Na-Dene language family of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, ...
people. They are the original inhabitants of the south central
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
region ranging from
Seldovia in the south to
Chickaloon in the northeast,
Talkeetna in the north,
Lime Village in the northwest and
Pedro Bay in the southwest. The Denaʼina homeland () is more than in area.
[Patricia H. Partnow 2013]
Denaʼinaqʼ Huchʼulyeshi: The Denaʼina Way of Living
. Anchorage Museum. They arrived in the south-central Alaska sometime between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago. They were the only Alaskan Athabaskan group to live on the coast. The Denaʼina have a
hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...
culture and a
matrilineal system. The
Iditarod Trail
The Iditarod Trail, also known historically as the Seward-to-Nome Trail, is a thousand-plus mile (1,600 km) historic and contemporary trail system in the US state of Alaska. The trail began as a composite of trails established by Alaska n ...
's antecedents were the native trails of the Denaʼina and
Deg Hitʼan Athabaskan Native Alaskans and the
Inupiaq Inuit.
Their neighbors are other Athabaskan peoples and
Yupik peoples
The Yupik (; ) are a group of Indigenous or Aboriginal peoples of western, southwestern, and southcentral Alaska and the Russian Far East. They are related to the Inuit and Iñupiat. Yupik peoples include the following:
* Alutiiq, or Sugp ...
:
Deg Hitʼan (northwest),
Upper Kuskokwim (central north),
Koyukon (northeast),
Lower Tanana (a little part of northeast),
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 ...
(east),
Pacific Yupik (, 'slaves'; Chugach Sugpiaq, south-southeast from Kenai Peninsula to Prince William Sound, and Koniag Alutiiq, south on Kodiak Archipelago and the Alaska Peninsula), and
Central Yupik (, 'down-river people', west and southwest).
Name
The name "Dena’ina" comes from two parts: ''dena'' meaning "person" and ''ina'', the human plural marker in Dena’ina language means "the people", and is related to the autonym for the Southern Athabaskan
Navajo people
The Navajo or Diné are an Native Americans in the United States, Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Navajo language, Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language.
The states with the largest Din ...
"Diné." The Denaʼina name for
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet (; Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding ...
is ''Tikahtnu'' meaning "Big Water River", "Ocean River" or ''Nuti'' meaning "Saltwater."
Culture
The Denaʼina are the only Northern Athabascan group to live near saltwater which allowed them to have the most
sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle is a Lifestyle (social sciences), lifestyle type, in which one is physically inactive and does little or no physical movement and/or exercise. A person living a sedentary lifestyle is often sitting or lying down while enga ...
of all Northern Athabascans. The Denaʼina were organized in regional bands or ''Ht’ana'' ("people of
place or area), which were composed of local bands. The regional bands had several villages or ''qayeh'', each containing multi-family dwellings called ''Nichił''. Each ''Nichił'' was led by a ''qeshqa'' ("rich man" or "leader") who Russian and American traders and religious referred to as "Chiefs."
Men and women in villages belong to their mother's clan. The clans were grouped into two sides or "moieties." Villagers could only marry outside of their own clan and moiety, maintaining diversity in the gene pool and strength in the village lineage.
Archaeological work suggests that the Dena'ina have occupied the Upper and Outer Cook Inlet areas for the last 1,000 years, migrating from the Mulchatna and Stony River areas, where they had lived for thousands of years prior.
Language and bands
Their traditional language,
Denaʼina (Dena’ina Qenaga), currently has about 70-75 fluent speakers out of a total population of about 1,400. Denaʼina is one of eleven Alaska
Athabascan
Athabaskan ( ; also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large branch of the Na-Dene language family of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, ...
languages. There are four primary dialects of Denaʼina (grouped with regional bands, local groups and today's tribal names):
* ''Inland / Lake Clark Denaʼina:'' (Qizhjeh Vena (
Lake Clark), Qeghnilen ("Canyon" Village on Stony River), K’qizaghtetnu / K'qizaghetnu Hdakaq' (
Stony River Village), Htsit (Tishimna Lake Village), Nunvendaltin (
Nondalton on/or
Sixmile Lake), Dilah Vena (Telaquana Lake), Hek'dichen Hdakaq' (
Lime Village), Tanilen/Tanalian Point (near
Port Alsworth), Qizhjeh (
Kijik at Lake Clark), Vałts'anaq' (
Mulchatna River villages), Vandaztunhtnu (Upper Mulchatna River), Łiq'a Qilanhtnu (
Tlikakila River)) - today: ''Lime Village'', ''Village of Stony River'', and ''Nondalton Village''
** Nondalton Dena'ina or Nundaltinht’ana/Nuvendaltin Quht’ana ("People at Sixmile Lake/Nundalton Village") - today: ''Nondalton Village''
* ''Iliamna Denaʼina:'' (Verna Kolyaha (
Pedro Bay), Tsayehtnu Hdakaq' (Pile Bay Village), Ch'ak'dalitnu/Nuch'ak'dalitnu (
Old Iliamna), Nilavena (
Lake Iliamna), Nughilen (aka Nughiltnu Kaq' / Nughil Kaq', today
Newhalen), Chix Kaq' (Chekok), Vighutiztin Hkayitaghi'u (Lonesome Bay Village))
** Iliamna Denaʼina or Nilavena/Nilan Vena Ht’ana ("People at islands lake, i.e. Lake Iliamna") - today: ''Village of Iliamna'', ''Newhalen Village'', and ''Pedro Bay Village Council''
* ''Upper Inlet Denaʼina:'' (Idlughet/Eydlughet (
Eklutna), Niteh (
Old Knik, Matanuska), Nughay Bena
(New) Knik), Qiduk'ggat (
Montana Creek), Tsat'ukegh/Susitnu Qayeh (Susitna Station), Tubughnenq' (
(Old)Tyonek), Ch'aghałnikt (
Point Possession Village), Tuqen Kaq'Qayeh (
Alexander Creek Village), Tsuk Qayeh (
Lower Yentna River Village), Benteh/Bentalit (Fish Lake Village sites), Dashq'e (
Kroto Creek Village), Ch'aniltnu Hdakaq' (Chunilna Creek Village), Tatik'niłtun Bena (Stephan Lake Village), Tudli Bena (
Nancy Lake Village), K'enakatnu (Fish Creek Village), Łajat (Cottonwood Creek Village), Nik'udatl'ech'a (Dinkle Lake Village), Nuk'din'itnu (
Chickaloon), Skintuk'ełaha (Swan Lake Village), Tak'at/Tak'at Qenuch'en ("
cross fromDip Net Platform",
Cairn Point Village), Nuch'ishtunt ("Place Protected from Wind",
Point Woronzof Village), Nen Ghiłgedi ("Rotten Land", near Point Woronzof), K'dalkitnu (
Talkeetna River,
Talkeetna townsite), Dgheyaytnu (
Stickleback Creek (Ship Creek), original Anchorage townsite), Dgheyey Kaq' ("Mouth of Stickleback Creek",
Anchorage
Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
), Chanshtnu ("Grass Creek, i.e. Chester Creek", original Anchorage townsite), Qin Cheghitnu ("Crying Ridge Creek", i.e.
Campbell Creek)
** Tyonek (Tubughnenq’) / Cook Inlet (Tikahtnu) Denaʼina or Tebughna/Tubughna ("Beach People") - today: ''Native Village of Tyonek''
** Susitna (River) Dena'ina or Susitnu Ht’ana ("Sandy River, i.e.
Susitna River People") (Ahtna term: Dustnay - "People out in front", partly Western Ahtna band)
*** Alexander Creek Village Denaʼina or Tuqen Kaq'Qayeh Ht’ana ("Clear water mouth village People") - today: ''Alexander Creek Native Village''
*** Susitna Station Denaʼina or Susitnu Qayeh Ht’ana ("Sand River Village People") / Yusdishla Qayeh Ht’ana ("Little Point Village People") - today: ''Native Village of Tyonek''
** Rainy Pass Dena'ina or Shandala Nununk'dnilghuyna ("People who holler to make migrating birds fall down")
** Yentna River Dena'ina or Yentnu Ht’ana ("Backbone River, i.e.
Yentna River People")
*** Lower Yentna Old Village Denaʼina or Tsuk Qayeh Qayeh Ht’ana ("Old Village Village People")
** Middle Susitna River Denaʼina or Dunʼena ("Near Upriver People")
*** Kroto Creek Denaʼina or Dashq'e Ht’ana ("On the shoal People" or "On the shallows People")
*** Montana Creek Village Denaʼina or Qiduk'ggat Ht’ana ("Frozen Overflow People")
** Talkeetna Mountains Ahtna-Denaʼina or Dghelay Teht’ana/Dzelyi Ht’ana ("
(Talkeetna) Mountains People", mixed Western Ahtna-Denaʼina band)
** Knik (''Arm area'') (K’enakatnu) Dena'ina or K’enah Ht’ana ("Vision People?") - today: ''Knik Tribal Council''
*** Eklutna (Idlughet) Village Dena'ina or Idlughet/Eydlughe Ht’ana/Idluytnu Qayeh Ht’ana ("at the plural objects People") - today: ''Native Village of Eklutna''
*** Matanuska (Old Knik) Village Dena'ina or Niteh Ht’ana ("Among the islands People") - today: ''Knik Tribal Council''
** Turnagain Arm Dena'ina or Tutl'uht'ana ("Headwaters People") - today: ''Knik Tribal Council'' and ''Native Village of Eklutna''
*** Point Possession Dena'ina or Tuzqunt Ht’ana/Tuyqunt Ht’ana ("Stillwater People, i.e.
Point Possession People")
** Western Ahtna-Dena'ina or Htsay Ht’ana (Dena'ina name) / Hwtsaay Hwt’aene (Ahtna name) ("Small Timber People")
*** Chickaloon Dena'ina or Nuk'din'itnu Ht’ana (Dena'ina name - "Bridge goes across-stream People") or Nay’dini’aa Na’ Hwt’aene (Ahtna name - "The river with the two logs across it People") - today: ''Chickaloon Village Traditional Council''
*** Wasilla area Dena'ina or Benteh Ht’ana ("Among the Lakes People") - today: ''Knik Tribal Council''
*** Fish Creek-Knik Village Dena'ina or K'enakatnu Ht’ana ("'?-stream People") - today: ''Knik Tribal Council''
* ''Outer Inlet / Kenai (Kahtnu) Denaʼina (Kahtnuht’ana Qenaga):'' (Shk'ituk't/Ch'k'ituk't (
Old Kenai Village Site), Kahtnu Qayah (
Kenai), Sqilant (
Kenai Lake Village), Qezdeghnen (Kustatan sites), Ts'eslahtnu (Old Seldovia), Angidahtnu (
Seldovia), Unhghenesditnu (
Kalifornsky Village), Tałin Ch'iłtant (Polly Creek), Nihnalchint (
Ninilchik), Tsayehq'at (China Poot Bay Village), K'kaq' (
Anchor Point Village), K'echan Dałkizt (Humpy Point Village), Ggasilat (
Kasilof Village), Quqegh Nik'eteleht (Libby Creek (Seven Egg Creek) Village), Tiduqilts'ett (Titukilsk Village), Ken Dech'etl't (
Salamatof), Ch'anilnat (Chinila Village), Chunuk'tnu (
Russian River), Tikahtnu (
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet (; Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding ...
), Yaghenen ("Good Land, i.e.
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe ...
"))
** Kenai (River) Dena'ina or Kahtnuht’ana/Nkahtnuht’ana ("
Kahtnu (Kenai River) People", lit. "River mouth river People") - today: ''Kenaitze Indian Tribe''
** Skilak Lake Dena'ina or Q’es Dudilent Ht’ana ("
Skilak Lake People", lit. "Flows Into Outlet Place (at Skilak Lake) People") - today: ''Kenaitze Indian Tribe''
** Kenai Lake Dena'ina or Sqilan Bena Ht’ana ("
Kenai Lake People", lit. "Ridge Place Lake People") / Sqilant Ht’ana ("Ridge Place Village People")
** Kenai Mountains Dena'ina or Tsaht’ana ("
(Kenai) Mountains People", mixed Denaʼina-Western Ahtna band) - today: ''Seldovia Village Tribe''
** Kenai Peninsula / Swanson River Dena'ina or Yaghanen Ht’ana/Yaht’ana/Yaghedna ("Good Land, i.e. Kenai Peninsula People") - today: ''Seldovia Village Tribe'' and ''Ninilchik Traditional Council''
*** Nikiski area Dena'ina or Qeghnen Ht’ana ("Adjacent Land People") - today: ''Village of Salamatof''
** Kustatan and West-Lower Cook Denaʼina or Qezdeghtna/Qeydaghetna (anglicised "Kustatan" - "Peninsula People, lit. Point of Land People") - today: ''Ninilchik Traditional Council''
** Kasilof River Denaʼina or Ggasilahtnu Denaʼina - today: ''Ninilchik Traditional Council''
Dena’ina Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Alaska Native village corporations
''Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CIRI)'' ("Upper Inlet" and "Outer Inlet / Kenai Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* ''
Chickaloon Village Traditional Council'' (Ahtna name: ''Nay'dini'aa Na' '' - "the river with the two logs across it", Dena’ina name: ''Nuk'din'itnu'' - "bridge goes across-stream") (Western Ahtna and Dena’ina peoples)
* ''
Native Village of Eklutna'' (''Idlughet Qayeht’ana'' - "at the plural objects People" and ''Tutl'uht'ana'' - "Headwaters People")
* ''
Kenaitze Indian Tribe'' (''Kahtnuht’ana'' - "Kahtnu (Kenai River) People", and ''Q’es Dudilent Ht’ana'' - "Skilak Lake People")
* ''
Knik Tribal Council'' (''K′enah Ht’ana'' - "Vision People?", other groups are ''Niteh Ht’ana'' - "Among the islands People", ''Benteh Ht’ana'' - "Among the Lakes People", ''Tutl'uht'ana'' - "Headwaters People", and ''K'enakatnu Ht’ana'' - "'?-stream People") (Dena’ina and Western Ahtna peoples)
* ''
Ninilchik Traditional Council'' (''Niqnalchint Qayeh Kenu'' - "Ninilchik Village Tribe" or ''Niqnalchint'' - "A place were a lodge is built", historic ''Yaghanen Ht’ana/Yaht’ana/Yaghedna'' - "Good Land People, i.e. Kenai Peninsula People", ''Qezdeghtna/Qeydaghetna'' - "Peninsula People" and ''Ggasilahtnu Ht’ana'' - "Kasilof River People") (Dena’ina, Chugach Sugpiaq (Alutiiq), Western Ahtna, and Central Alaskan Yup'ik peoples)
* ''
Salamatof Tribal Council'' (''Ken Dech’etl’t'' - "scrub timber flat lake, i.e.Salamatof Lake")
* ''
Seldovia Village Tribe'' (historic Dena’ina bands: ''Yaghanen Ht’ana/Yaht’ana/Yaghedna'' - "Good Land People, i.e. Kenai Peninsula People", ''Tsaht’ana'' - "Mountain People") (Unangax (Aleut), Yupik, Chugach Sugpiaq (Alutiiq), Dena’ina, and Western Ahtna peoples)
* ''
Native Village of Tyonek'' (''Tebughna/Tubughna'' - "Beach People", and ''Susitnu Qayeh Ht’ana'' - "Sand River Village People")
''Alexander Creek, Incorporated'' ("Upper Inlet Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* ''
Alexander Creek Native Village'' (''Tuqen Kaq'Qayeh Ht’ana'' - "Clear water mouth village People")
''Calista Corporation'' ("Inland / Lake Clark Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* ''
Lime Village'' (''Hek'dichen Hdakaq'' - "lack of abundance mouth", therefore formerly known as ''Hungry Village'') (Yup’ik, Cup’ik, Denaʼina and Alaska Athabascan)
''Bristol Bay Native Association'' ("Inland / Lake Clark Denaʼina" and "Iliamna Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* ''
Iliamna Village Council'' (''Nilavena/Nilan Vena Ht’ana'' - "People at islands lake, i.e. Lake Iliamna") (General Central Yup'ik, Alutiiq, and Dena’ina peoples)
* ''
Newhalen Tribal Council'' (Dena’Ina name: ''Nughilen'' - "Newhalen River Village" or ''Nughiltnu'' - "flows-down river, i.e. Newhalen River", Central Alaskan Yup'ik name: ''Nuuriileng'', historic bands: ''Nilavena/Nilan Vena Ht’ana'' - "People at islands lake, i.e. Lake Iliamna"), as ''
Newhalen Village'' also part of the ''Alaska Peninsula Corporation''(Yup’ik, Alutiiq, and Dena’ina peoples)
* ''
Nondalton Tribal Council'' or ''
Nondalton Village'' (''Nundaltinht’an'' - "Sixmile Lake/Nundalton Village" or ''Nuvendaltin Quht’ana'' - "People at Sixmile Lake/Nundalton Village")
''Pedro Bay Corporation'' ("Iliamna Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* ''
Pedro Bay Village Council'' (''Verna Kolyaha'', historic ''Nilavena/Nilan Vena Ht’ana'' - "People at islands lake, i.e. Lake Iliamna") - also part of the ''Bristol Bay Native Association''
''Kuskokwim Corporation''
The Kuskokwim Corporation
/ref> ("Inland / Lake Clark Denaʼina"-speaking bands)
* '' Village of Stony River'' (Dena’ina name: ''K'qizaghetnu Hdakaq' '' - "Village at the distant river", Deg Xitʼan name: ''Gidighuyghatno’ Xidochagg Qay’ '') (Dena’ina, Deg Xitʼan, Upper Kuskokwim, and Yupik peoples)
* '' Village of Aniak'' (Yupik name: “the place where it comes out”, which refers to the mouth of the Aniak River) (Yupik and Dena’ina peoples)
* '' Native Village of Chuathbaluk'' (Yupik name ''Curapalek'' meaning “the hills where the big blueberries grow”) (Yupik and Dena’ina peoples)
* '' Native Village of Georgetown'' (Yupik and Dena’ina peoples)
* '' Village of Red Devil'' (Yupik and Dena’ina peoples)
Namesakes
The city of Anchorage
Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
chose to honor the Denaʼina by naming the city's new convention center the Denaʼina Civic and Convention Center.
Notable Denaʼina people
* Alice E. Brown, activist, 1912–1973
* Adelheid Herrmann
Adelheid Herrmann (born April 15, 1953) is a Dena'ina Athabaskan researcher and politician. She is a shareholder in the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, one of the 13 Alaska Native corporations.
Early life and education
Herrmann is the grand ...
, Alaskan state legislator (1983–1989), researcher
* Peter Kalifornsky
Peter Kalifornsky (October 12, 1911 – June 5, 1993) was a writer and ethnographer of the Dena'ina Athabaskan of Kenai, Alaska.
Early life, family and education
He was the great-grandson of Qadanalchen, who took the name Kalifornsky after wo ...
, author and ethnographer, 1911–1993
See also
*Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tli ...
* Denaʼina Civic and Convention Center
References
External links
Alaska Native Language Center Archive Denaʼina container list
Denaʼina Qenaga language site
{{Authority control