Upper Kuskokwim people

The Upper Kuskokwim people or Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskans (own native name Dichinanek' Hwt'ana) are an Alaskan Athabaskan group. They are one of the Athabaskan-speaking peoples and live in Alaska. They are the original people of villages along the Upper Kuskokwim River, such as Nikolai, Telida, and McGrath.

Today, only about 25 of the 100 Upper Kuskokwim people still speak their traditional language, called Dinak'i. This language is closely related to the Lower Tanana language but is different from the Deg Xinag language. The Upper Kuskokwim people have a culture based on hunting and gathering and follow a matrilineal system, meaning family ties are traced through the mother's side. They were semi-nomadic, moving between semi-permanent homes depending on the season.

Their neighbors include other Athabaskan-speaking groups such as the Koyukon, Holikachuk, Deg Hit'an, and Dena'ina. These nearby groups have their own languages and traditions, but they share many similarities with the Upper Kuskokwim people.

Bands and communities

In the past, there were six different groups of people living along the upper Kuskokwim River. Over time, these groups came together to form one community called Nikolai Village.

The Upper Kuskokwim people had several bands, including the Telida band near Telida, the East Fork band near Slow Fork and Dennis Creek, the South Fork band near Farewell and Nikolai, the Salmon River band near the Salmon River, the Big River band near Farewell Landing, and a band around Vinasale Mountain. Today, some of their communities include McGrath, Takotna, Nikolai, and Telida.

Prehistory

Further information: Tanana Athabaskans § Prehistory

The Upper Kuskokwim people are part of the Athabaskan-speaking group in Alaska. They were first recognized as a special group by a researcher named Edward Howard Hosley in 1968. These people have their own rich history and culture, different from their neighbors. They are the original inhabitants of villages along the Upper Kuskokwim River, such as Nikolai, Telida, and McGrath in Alaska.

History

The first written record about trade and contact with the Upper Kuskokwim people was made by Lavrenty Alekseyevich Zagoskin, a Russian naval officer. He was sent to explore the interior of Russian America for the Russian-American Company. In the 1830s, the Russians set up several trading posts near the Upper Kuskokwim people. On the Kuskokwim River, they built Kolmakof Redoubt and a small post at Vinasale. After the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, control of these trading stations and the fur trade moved to Americans.

Hunting-gathering

The Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskans lived in an area that is now part of Denali National Park and Preserve in the Tanana-Kuskokwim Lowlands ecoregion. They moved through their homeland throughout the year to gather food from nature.

They were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, which means they hunted animals and gathered plants for food. They hunted large animals such as Dall sheep, caribou, black bear, and grizzly bear. They also hunted smaller animals like hare or rabbits and birds such as ptarmigans and grouse.

Fishing was very important. They caught many kinds of fish in nearby rivers and creeks, storing them for later use. The most important fish were Pacific salmon species, especially king or chinook, dog or chum, and silver or coho salmon. They also gathered plants and berries like blueberries, salmonberries, and raspberries during the spring, summer, and fall.

Kinship

The Upper Kuskokwim people have a special way of understanding family ties, called Iroquois kinship. This system focuses on groups called clans, passed down from mothers, and values marrying cousins from different family lines. Their society is divided into three main clans: St'chelayu, meaning "fish people"; Tonay'tlil'tsitnah, meaning "middle kind" or "people in the middle"; and Medzisht'hut'anah, meaning "caribou people".

Culture

The Upper Kuskokwim people, like other Alaskan Athabaskans, have traditionally believed in animism and shamanism. Today, many follow the Russian Orthodox faith, which began with missionaries in the mid-1800s. Churches were built in Nikolai and Telida in the early 1900s.

A special treat for the Alaskan Athabaskans is a dessert called Indian ice cream (nemaje). It is made with berries, Indian potato, and fish mixed with fat, often Crisco today, but sometimes bear fat. This is different from the Indian ice cream of the First Nations in British Columbia.

Modern tribal unions

Alaska Native tribal entities for the Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskans are recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs:

The Alaska Native Regional Corporations of the Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskans were created in 1971 when the United States Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

The Tanana Chiefs Conference is a group that brings together many Central Alaskan Athabaskans. It includes several councils representing Upper Kuskokwim Athabaskans, such as the McGrath Traditional Council in McGrath, the Medfra Traditional Council in Medfra, the Edzeno Native Council in Nikolai, the Takotna Traditional Council in Takotna, and the Telida Native Village Council in Telida.