Advancing Native Place Names in Alaska
Gary Holton, Lawrence Kaplan, and James KariAlaska Native Language CenterUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
COGNA 2013, Minneapolis
Alaska Native Language Center
• Founded 1972 with the mission:
1. study languages native to Alaska
2. develop literacy materials
3. assist in the translation of important documents
4. provide for the development and dissemination of Alaska Native literature
5. train Alaska Native language speakers to work as teachers and aides in bilingual classrooms to teach and support Alaska’s twenty indigenous languages
Alaska Native Language Archive
• Largest repository of ANL documentation• ~ 1500 linear ft. manuscripts, including nearly
everything written in or about Alaska Native languages
• ~ 5000 recordings
Alaska Native Place Name project
• Goal: create comprehensive database of Alaska Native place name documentation, whether official or not
Language Families in Alaska
• Inuit (Eskimo-Aleut) • 5 languages
• Na-Dene (Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit)• 13 languages plus 30+ others in Canada and lower 48
• Haida
• Tsimshian
• GNIS lists 31,004 official (geographic) names in Alaska
• Significant (but unknown) number of these are of native-origin
• Total number of indigenous names much larger
• Extrapolating from Ahtna region (234 names / m ha.) to the entire state we expect approx. 39,000 names
• Probably a lower limit, since many coastalareas show much higher densities (e.g., King Island 163,000 / m ha.)
Place names in Alaska
Official names approved in Alaska
0
50
100
150
200
250
1980s 1990s 2000s
Native
non-Native
Native-origin names
• Original names
• Official with Anglicized spelling (Talkeetna)
• Unofficial with Anglicized spelling (Denali)
• Official with Anglicized spelling and English generic (Chena River)
• Official with proper spelling and English generic (K’esugi Ridge)
• Official with proper spelling (Troth Yeddha’)
• Coined names
• Native-origin but not traditional (Ashana Lake, Tsaani Creek)
• Mis-placed Native names
Eliminating pejorative names
• Native names provide an excellent source to replace English names which are considered pejorative
• Tsaani Creek (Ahtna, 2009)
• Tł’oo Hanshyah Mountain (Gwich’in, 2012)
• Łochenyatth Creek (Lower Tanana, 2012)
Previously unnamed features
• Actual Native names• K’esugi Ridge (Dena’ina, 2002)• Taq’ Nust’in Moutain (Dena’ina, 2008)• Ciissinraq River (Yup’ik, 2008)• Nen’ Yese’ Ridge (Ahtna, 2011)• G̲andláay Háanaa (Haida, 2012)• Hawadax Island (Aleut, 2012)• Troth Yeddha’ (Lower Tanana, 2012)• Thachkatnu (Dena’ina)
• Coined names• Ashana Lake (Dena’ina, 2009)• Ch’akajabena Mountain (Dena’ina, 2005)• Mount Chichantna (Dena’ina, 1999)• Mount Nagishlamina (Dena’ina, 1999)
Anglicization
• Changed from Łach Q’atnu by cartographer (Imus Geographics)
• Then officially adopted based on Anglicization
Misplaced Native names• Many apparent “Native” names are not actually the correct name
for the feature
• Ch’akajabena Mountain adopted in 2005, based on name for nearby lake
• Proposal prompted change Chakachamna Ch’akajabena Lake
Ch’akajabena Mountain
Ch’akaja Bena Dghil’u
Misplaced Native names
Ch’akajabena Dghilu
Ch’akajatnu
Ch’akajabena
Ch’akaja ‘tail extends out’
Ch’akajabena Lake
Chakachatna River
Village Names
• Atqasuk, ‘downslope’, replaces Meade River
• Nuiqsut, ‘things speared’, replaces Nooiksut (should be Nuiqsat)
• Nanwalek, ‘one with lagoon’, replaces English Bay
• Nunam Iqua, ‘land’s end’, replaces Sheldons Point
• Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska map (2011) lists over 250 village names in proper orthography
• GNIS lists 47 variants
• 7 of these are Native names• Deenaalee (Koyukon)
• Dinadhit (Lower Tanana)
• Denaze (Upper Kuskokwim)
• Denadhe (Holikachuk)
• Dengadhiy (Deg Xinag)
• Dghelaay Ce’e (Ahtna)
• Dghelay Ka’a (Dena’ina)
Denali
Native names are steeped in history
Troth Yeddha’
DeenaaleeDeenaalee Be’ot
Native names reflect a unique view of the landscape
Official Native names
• A more manageable program
• Simple, straightforward strategy for creating database of Native names for officially named features
1. Identify Native-origin names in GNIS database
2. If name = Native name, flag it
3. If variant = Native name, flag it
4. Otherwise, add proper variant and flag it
• Could be used to easily create a map with Native names or Native name variants
• Could be done easily using existing knowledge
Talkeetna River
Variant
Chunilna Creek
I’delcuut Na’
K’dalkitnu
K’dalkitnu Tl’u
Talkeet River
Talkeetno River
Talkitnu
Talkutna River
Which is the correct Native name?
Talkeetna River
Variant Citation
Chunilna Creek Orth
I’delcuut Na’ Kari &Fall 2003
K’dalkitnu Kari & Fall 2004
K’dalkitnu Tl’u Kari & Fall 2003
Talkeet River n/a
Talkeetno River n/a
Talkitnu Orth
Talkutna River n/a
Is it easier if we know the citation?
Cook Inlet
Baie Kenaiskaia
Baie de Cook
Cook’s Arm
Cook’s Inlet
Cooks River
Danse
Groosginclose
Kenai Bay
Kenaiaskoi Golfe
Kenaischev Ttunaiskych
Kenaiskischer
Kenaiskischev Meerbusen
Nuti
Nuti Tikahtnu
Sund Kenai
Tika’atnu
Tikahtnu
Too Chux Bogha
Zaliv Kenayskoy
Cook Inlet
Baie Kenaiskaia
Baie de Cook
Cook’s Arm
Cook’s Inlet
Cooks River
Danse
Groosginclose
Kenai Bay
Kenaiaskoi Golfe
Kenaischev Ttunaiskych
Kenaiskischer
Kenaiskischev Meerbusen
Nuti
Nuti Tikahtnu
Sund Kenai
Tika’atnu
Tikahtnu
Too Chux Bogha
Zaliv Kenayskoy
Possible Native names in bold; which is correct?
Kuskokwim River
Chin-ana n/a
Dechena Nek’a Kari 1999
Dechenaa Neege Kari 1999
Dechenaa Neek’a Kari 1999
Dechenaa No’ Kari 1999
Dichinanek’ ANLA 2011
Dichinanek’a Kari & Fall 2003
Dichinano’ Kari 1999
Degenegh Kari 1999
Djenegh Kari 1999
Kenaniq’ Kari 2007
Kugikukvik River Orth
Kugikukwik River Orth
Kusququvak Jacobson 1984
Ryka Kuskokvim Orth
Ttychannanika Kari & Fall 2003
Summary
• There is growing public interest in Native names in Alaska
• Existing resources are difficult to use and do not identify the correct Native name
• Creating a comprehensive gazetteer will be a monumental work (though see Bright 2004)
• However, creating an authoritative reference for those places which already have official names (whether Native or not) is a manageable task
• Can be accomplished by simply recognizing “privileged” authoritative variant within GNIS