Ahtna
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Athabaskan peoples Especially Denaʼina |
The Ahtna (also Ahtena, Atna, Ahtna-kohtaene, or Copper River) are an
Their neighbors are other Na-Dené-speaking and
Synonymy
The name Ahtena, also written as Ahtna and Atnatana, translates as "ice people." In some documentation the Ahtna have been called Copper Indians because of their ancestral homeland located in the basin of the Copper River and its tributaries in southeastern Alaska. The word for the Copper River in Ahtna is 'Atna' tuu" (tuu meaning water). Thus, "Ahtna" refers to the People of the 'Atna' River (i.e. The Copper River). The named Yellowknife has also been used in reference to the Ahtna's copper-colored knives; however, another tribe, the Yellowknives, are also referred to as Copper Indians.[3]
Language
The Ahtna are an
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.[5] Prior to that, their ancestors moved into the area of the Upper and Middle Susitna area about 7,000 years ago.[6]
European contact
In 1781 the Russians made it to the mouth of the Copper River. Over the course of years, Russians would try to go up the river only to be pushed back by the Ahtna. In 1819 the Russians built a post at the confluence of the Copper and Chitina Rivers, which was destroyed.[3]
Nineteenth and twentieth centuries
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. A US military expedition led by Henry Tureman Allen in 1885 explored the Copper River and surrounding area.[3]
Historical regional bands and dialects and present day Native Villages
There are four main dialect divisions and eight historic regional bands (tribal unions):[7] To take advantage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971, the Ahtna formed Ahtna, Incorporated. The organization is a for-profit entity that oversees the land obtained under ANCSA (The Native Village of Chitina (Tsedi Ná) is organized by the Chitina Native Corporation). 714,240 acres were allocated, consisting of eight villages:[8]
- Lower (Copper River) Ahtna or Atna Hwt'aene / Atnahwt'aene[9] (″People of the Copper River, i.e. 'Atna' River″)
- Chitina (Tsedi Ná) / Taral (Taghaelden) Band - today: Native Village of Chitina (Tsedi Ná)[10] (Athna: ″Copper River″. Population (2010 Census): 126; Current Population: 93 (Population Year: 2018))[11]
- Tonsina (Kentsii Cae'e or Kentsii Na‟) / Klutina (Tl‟atii Na‟) Band - today: Native Village of Kluti Kaah (Tl’aticae’e or Tl‟atii Na‟) (Athna: ″Mouth of Klutina River″ or ″Undercurrent River″, formerly the Native Village of Copper Center, the village Tl’aticae’e (Copper Center). Population (2010 Census): 328; Current Population: 317 (Population Year: 2018))[12]
- Central Ahtna or Middle Ahtna or Dan'ehwt'aene
- Gulkona (C‟ulc‟e Na‟) / Gakona (Ggax Kuna‟) Band - today:
- Nativa Village of Gulkana (C'uul C'ena') (Athna: ″tearing River″, the village C'uul C'ena' (Gulkana). Population (2010 Census): 119; Current Population: 113 (Population Year: 2018))
- Native Village of Gakona (Ggax Kuna') (Athna: ″Rabbit River″; the village Ggax Kuna' (Gakona). Population (2010 Census): 218; Current Population: 203 (Population Year: 2018))[13]
- Gulkona (C‟ulc‟e Na‟) / Gakona (Ggax Kuna‟) Band - today:
- Western Ahtna or Tsaay Hwt'aene / Dze Ta Hwt'aene (″People in the middle of the mountains, i.e. Nutzotin Mountains″, sometimes known as Hwtsaay Hwt'aene / Hwtsaay hwt'aene - ″Small Tree People, Small Timber People″)
- Tyone (″chief″) / Mendeltna (Bendilna) Band - today: Native Village of Tazlina (Tezdlen Na') (Athna: ″swift water″, the village Tezdlen Na' (Tazlina). Population (2010 Census): 297; Current Population: 263 (Population Year: 2018))[14]
- Cantwell (Yidateni Na‟) / Denali (Dghelaayce‟e) Band - today: Native Village of Cantwell (Yidateni Na') (Athna: ″Jaw Trail Creek″, English name: Jack River. Population (2010 Census): 222)[15]
- Upper (Copper River) Ahtna or Tatl'a Hwt'aene / Taa’tl’aa Denaé (″Headwater People″)[16]
- Sanford River (HwdinndiK‟ełt‟aeni) / Chistochina (Tsiistl‟edze‟ Na‟) BandCheesh-Na Tribe(formerly the Native Village of Chistochina (Tsiis Tl’edze' Caegge); Cheesh-Na means ″blue ocher River″, the village Tsiis Tl’edze' Caegge (Chistochina). Population (2010 Census): 97; Current Population: 88 (Population Year: 2018))
- Slana (Stl’aa Caegge) / Batzulnetas (Nataełde) Band - today: part of the Native Village of Mentasta (Mendaesde)
- Mentasta (Mendaesde) Band - today: Native Village of Mentasta (Mendaesde) (Athna: ″shallow lake″, the village Mendaesde (Mentasta Lake). Population (2010 Census): 112; Current Population: 128 (Population Year: 2018))
- Sanford River (HwdinndiK‟ełt‟aeni) / Chistochina (Tsiistl‟edze‟ Na‟) Band
Culture
Governance
Chief Name | Translation + (Location) |
---|---|
Tats’abaelghi’aa Denen | Person of Where Spruce Stands in Water (chief of village opposite Canyon Creek) |
Taghael Denen | Person of Barrier in Water (chief of Taral) |
Ts’es K’e Denen | Person of on the Rock (chief of site on W bank at Mile 127) |
Hwt’aa Cae’e Denen | Person of Beneath (the mountains) Stream Mouth (chief of Fox Creek village) |
C’elax Denen | Person of Fish Run Place (chief of Long Lake/Lakina village) |
Bes Cene Ghaxen | Person of Riverbank Flat (chief of Riverstag village) |
Sdaghaay Denen | Person of End of the Point (chief of village north of mouth of Chetaslina River) |
Tsedi Kulaen Denen | Person of Copper Exists Place (chief of Copper Village, five mi. below Dadina River on east bank) |
Hwt’akughi’aa Denen | Person of Area Extends below a Place (chief of site 1 mi. below Dadina R on W bank) |
Nic’akuni’aa Denen | Person of Where Land Extends Out (chief of Stickwan's village south of Wood Camp) |
K’aay Denen | Person of Ridge (chief of Kaina Ck site on Tazlina Lake) |
Bendil Denen | Person of Where Stream Flows into Lake (chief of Mendeltna Creek site on Tazlina Lake) |
Sday’dinaesi Ghaxen | Person of Long Point (chief of point site near Glennallen) |
C’ecae’e Denen | Person of the River Mouth (chief of site near Gulkana River mouth) |
Sałtigi Ghaxen | Person of Sałtigi (chief of Tyone Lake) |
Stl’aa Caegge Ghaxen | Person of Rear River Mouth (chief of Slana village |
Mendaes Ghaxen | Person of Shallows Lake (chief of Mentasta) |
Architecture
In the summertime the Ahtna used temporary rectangular dwellings made of spruce and cottonwood. These structures had bark-covered sides and skin-covered entrances to provide access. In the wintertime, families lived in large semi-underground homes. As large as 10 feet wide by 36 feet long, these dwellings were constructed from wood and covered with spruce bark. Sometimes a second room was attached to be used for sweating rituals.[3]
Family life
When traveling by water, moose-hide boats were used. In the wintertime,
Subsistence
Traditionally the Ahtna hunted many different types of animals such as the
Economy
The Ahtna were historically part of a trade network with other Athabaskans, the
The Ahtna operate Ahtna, Inc., an Alaska Native corporation founded in 1971.[19][20] Ahata has provided services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Port Isabel Detention Center since at least 2008.[19][21] The contract will earn Ahtna Technical Services (ATS) at least $800 million.[19][22]
See also
- List of Native American peoples in the United States
References
- ^ a b c d "Ahtna". Languages. University of Alaska Fairbanks. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- ^ The Map of Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8160-6274-4.
- ISBN 978-0-8160-6274-4.
- ISBN 978-0-89732-957-6.
- ^ Smith, Gerad (2020). Ethnoarchaeology of the Middle Tanana Valley, Alaska.
- ^ "Native American Tribal Arts & Architecture, SUBARCTIC ARTS". Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ Ahtna, Inc. - Ahtna Villages
- ^ Ahtna Place Names Lists[permanent dead link]
- ^ Chitina Native Corporation
- ^ Copper River Native Association
- ^ Native Village of Kluti-Kaah
- ^ Native Village of Gakona
- ^ "Native Village of Tazlina (Tezlende)". Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ Kahtnuht'ana Qenaga: The Kenai Peoples Language - Dena'ina Territory and Place Names
- ^ Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium (Kelt’aeni) - Tribal consortium of two federally recognized Tribes of Chistochina and Mentasta Lake
- ^ Ahtna language, Chistochina Dialect Archived 2012-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ James Kari: Copper River Native Places A report on culturally important places to Alaska Native tribes
- ^ a b c Rohrlich, Justin; Rawnsley, Adam (6 July 2018). "A Native American Tribe Has a $800 Million Contract to Run ICE Detention Centers". The Daily Beast.
- ^ "Welcome". AhtnaSTS. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
AhtnaSTS is a subsidiary of Ahtna Incorporated, one of the thirteen original Alaska Native Corporations (ANC) established by Congress in 1971 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. We were organized as the natural business progression from the Simulations and Training Division of our sister company, Ahtna Development Corporation (ADC), who were themselves formed in 1975, and quickly began pursuit of government contracting opportunities.
- ^ "Contract - Ahtna Technical Services - HSCEDM-08-D-00002" (PDF). U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018.
Services Provided: Operation of Detention Processing Facility at the Port Isabel Detention Center
- ^ "Banking on Detention: local lockup quotas & the immigrant dragnet" (PDF). Detention Watch Network. 2015. p. 9.
Further reading
- Williams, Maria Sháa Tláa. The Alaska Native Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press (2009). ISBN 0-8223-4480-7
External links
- Official website Archived 18 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine for the Ahtna Heritage Foundation
- Copper River Native Association
- Wrangell's 1839 Comparative Word-List of Alaskan languages Archived 19 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine (includes Copper River Ahtna)
- PARADISEC archive collection of Ahtna recordings