Ahtna

The Ahtna (also Ahtena, Atna, Ahtna-kohtaene, or Copper River) are an Alaska Native Athabaskan people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. Their homeland, called Atna Nenn', is located in the Copper River area of southern Alaska. The name Ahtna comes from the local name for the Copper River. Today, the total population of Ahtna is estimated at around 1,427 people.

The Ahtna have many neighbors, including other Native groups such as the Dena'ina, Koyukon, Lower Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Tanana, Southern Tutchone, Tlingit, Eyak, and Chugach Sugpiaq. These groups live around them in different directions, showing the rich cultural tapestry of the region. The Ahtna have a long history and unique traditions that continue to be important today.

Synonymy

The Ahtna people have been called different names throughout history. Some names include Ahtena and Atnatana, which mean "ice people." They are also known as the Copper Indians because they lived near the Copper River in southeastern Alaska. In their own language, the river is called "Atna tuu," where "tuu" means water. So, "Ahtna" means the People of the Atna River, or the Copper River. The name Yellowknife has also been used because of their copper-colored knives, but another tribe, the Yellowknives, are also called Copper Indians.

Language

The Ahtna are a group of people who speak an Athabaskan languages. They belong to the Subarctic cultural area and are also called Subarctic Indians. Depending on where they live along the Copper River, their dialects can be a little different. The Lower Ahtna live near where the river meets the Gulf of Alaska, the Middle Ahtna live a bit further up the river, and the Upper Ahtna live in the upper parts of the river. Their closest language relatives are the Tanaina people.

Today, only about 80 Ahtna people still speak the Ahtna language. In 1990, a dictionary was made by a university expert named James Kari to help keep the language alive. Later, the Ahtna People created their own noun dictionary to share their language with others.

History

Origins and early history

About 2,000 years ago, the Ahtna people moved into the area of the Wrangell Mountains and the Chitina Valley. Before that, their ancestors lived in the Upper and Middle Susitna area around 7,000 years ago.

European contact

In 1781, the Russians reached the mouth of the Copper River. Over time, they tried to travel up the river but were stopped by the Ahtna. In 1819, the Russians built a post where the Copper and Chitina Rivers meet, but it was later destroyed.

Nineteenth and twentieth centuries

The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. In 1885, a U.S. military group led by Henry Tureman Allen explored the Copper River area.

Historical regional bands and dialects and present day Native Villages

There are four main groups of the Ahtna people and eight historic bands. In 1971, they formed Ahtna, Incorporated to manage their lands under a special law. This included eight villages:

• Lower (Copper River) Ahtna
  • Native Village of Chitina (Tsedi Ná)
  • Native Village of Kluti Kaah (Tl’aticae’e or Tl‟atii Na‟)
• Central Ahtna
  • Nativa Village of Gulkana (C'uul C'ena')
  • Native Village of Gakona (Ggax Kuna')
• Western Ahtna
  • Native Village of Tazlina (Tezdlen Na')
  • Native Village of Cantwell (Yidateni Na')
• Upper (Copper River) Ahtna
  • Cheesh-Na Tribe
  • Native Village of Mentasta (Mendaesde)

Culture

The Ahtna people had different homes depending on the season. In summer, they lived in temporary houses made from spruce and cottonwood trees, with bark-covered walls and skin-covered doors. In winter, they stayed in large, semi-underground homes built from wood and covered with spruce bark, sometimes adding a second room for special rituals.

Their lives were tied closely to nature. They hunted animals like moose, caribou, mountain sheep, and rabbits, and caught salmon in rivers and streams using nets. They also gathered berries and roots. When traveling, they used moose-hide boats on water, snowshoes and toboggans in winter, and a tumpline—a strap across the forehead or chest—to carry heavy loads while walking.