Denaʼina

The Denaʼina are an Alaska Native Athabaskan people who lived in south central Alaska. Their homeland, called Denaʼina Ełnena, covers more than 41,000 mi² (110,000 km²). This area stretches 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. They arrived in this region between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago and were the only Alaskan Athabaskan group to live along the coast.

The Denaʼina lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and had a matrilineal system, meaning family ties were traced through the mother's side. Their ancient paths later became the basis for the famous Iditarod Trail. Nearby groups included other Athabaskan peoples like the Deg Hitʼan, Upper Kuskokwim, Koyukon, Lower Tanana, and Ahtna, as well as Yupik peoples such as the Pacific Yupik and Central Yupik.

Name

The name "Dena’ina" means "the people". It comes from two parts: dena meaning "person" and ina, which is the word for "people" in the Dena’ina language. This is similar to how the Navajo people call themselves "Diné."

The Dena’ina call Cook Inlet Tikahtnu, which means "Big Water River" or "Ocean River". They also have another name for it, Nuti, which means "Saltwater."

Culture

The Denaʼina are the only Northern Athabascan group who lived near saltwater. This helped them have a more settled life compared to other Northern Athabascans. They were organized into regional bands called Ht’ana, meaning "people of [a place or area]." These bands had several villages, each with homes for many families known as Nichił. Each home was led by a person of importance called a qeshqa, whom outsiders called "Chiefs."

In these villages, men and women belonged to their mother's clan. The clans were divided into two groups, and people could only marry someone from a different clan and group. This helped keep the community strong and diverse. Evidence shows that the Denaʼina have lived in the Upper and Outer Cook Inlet areas for about 1,000 years, moving there from places like the Mulchatna and Stony River areas long before that.

Language and bands

The Denaʼina people have their own traditional language, called Denaʼina (Dena’ina Qenaga). Today, there are only about 70-75 people who still speak this language well out of around 1,400 Denaʼina people. Denaʼina is one of eleven Alaska Athabascan languages.

There are four main groups of Denaʼina dialects and bands. These groups are linked to different areas and villages across south central Alaska. Some of the main groups include the Inland/Denaʼina around Lake Clark, the Iliamna Denaʼina near Lake Iliamna, the Upper Inlet Denaʼina around the Cook Inlet area, and the Outer Inlet or Kenai Denaʼina along the Kenai Peninsula. Each of these groups has smaller local villages and today, they are organized into modern tribal communities.

Dena’ina Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Alaska Native village corporations

The Dena’ina people are organized into several regional and village corporations. The Cook Inlet Tribal Council represents Upper Inlet and Outer Inlet/Kenai Dena’ina-speaking bands and includes groups such as the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, Native Village of Eklutna, Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Knik Tribal Council, Ninilchik Traditional Council, Salamatof Tribal Council, Seldovia Village Tribe, and Native Village of Tyonek.

Other corporations include Alexander Creek, Incorporated for Upper Inlet Dena’ina-speaking bands; Calista Corporation for Inland/Lake Clark Dena’ina-speaking bands, including Lime Village; Bristol Bay Native Association for Inland/Lake Clark Dena’ina and Iliamna Dena’ina-speaking bands, with groups like Iliamna Village Council, Newhalen Tribal Council, and Nondalton Tribal Council; Pedro Bay Corporation for Iliamna Dena’ina-speaking bands, including Pedro Bay Village Council; and Kuskokwim Corporation for Inland/Lake Clark Dena’ina-speaking bands, covering villages such as Stony River, Aniak, Chuathbaluk, Georgetown, and Red Devil.

Namesakes

The city of Anchorage honored the Denaʼina people by naming its new convention center the Denaʼina Civic and Convention Center.

Notable Denaʼina people

Some well-known Denaʼina people include Alice E. Brown, an activist who lived from 1912 to 1973, Adelheid Herrmann, a researcher and state legislator in Alaska from 1983 to 1989, and Peter Kalifornsky, an author and researcher who lived from 1911 to 1993.