Alaskan history is rich and diverse in customs, traditions, and people. The first people, while contrasting in regard to certain elements, share similarities in regard to their ways of life. Several groups can be identified based on the languages that they speak. In this paper, several Athabascan groups will be discussed based on their traditions, lifestyles, backgrounds, and languages: Dena’ina, Koyukon, and Gwich’in. The aforementioned demographics are comprised of multiple different tribes. Nonetheless, the Athabascans, which comprise the aforementioned groupings, is the term applied to identify Interior Indians.
Background
As mentioned prior, the Athabascan Indians are a group that comprises multiple demographics and tribes. Each regional subgroup shares a set of values, beliefs, and traditions. However, there are multiple similarities that are common among all individuals within this population. Namely, reliance on natural resources was the element that helped preserve the lives and well-being of natives. The sources of food depended on the time of the year. Individuals would fish and harvest vegetables in summer, trap water mammals in spring, harvest berries, and hunt caribou in the fall (Athabascans of Interior Alaska). In order for the Alaskan Athabaskans to survive, they had to migrate and move towards the resources based on the time of the year. The hunter-gatherer way of life has assisted the demographic in surviving harsh environments and the cold winters. The Athabaskans, as mentioned prior, are divided into a variety of linguistics groups, including the Dena’ina, Koyukon, and Gwich’in.
Dena’ina
The Dena’inas are Northern Alaskan people who speak the Dena’inan language. It, however, is spoken by less than a hundred people, becoming an endangered language (Boraas and Christian). One of the tribes that speak the said language is the Kenaitze. The Kenaitze, despite being federally recognized as a tribe in 1971, has over 1,900 members and preserves its traditions to this day (Kenaitze Indian Tribe). Thus, the tribe preserves both the Kenaitze and the Dena’ina customs as, despite having individual characteristics correlating with tribal elements, the bigger grouping remains the circumstance that links the Kenai people with other demographics. Hence, from a linguistic perspective, the Kenaitze speak a dialect of the broader Dena’ina language. Historically, people of Dena’ina entered the Cook Inlet Basin when it became possible due to the recession of the glacier covering it between 500 and 1000 AD (“Denaina Time Travel”). The people within the region have experienced violence and a smallpox epidemic as a result of contact with Russian traders. After Alaska was sold, the region and its people were involved in the fur trade and commercial fishing.
Koyukon
Similarly to the Dena’inas, the Koyukon people are also Athabascans living in the areas close to the Koyukuk and Yukon rivers. Moreover, the Koyukon language is a dialect of the Athabascan language, which resembles the circumstances highlighted prior concerning the Dena’ina dialect. Similar traits can be exemplified in regard to the traditions of the demographic. Namely, the Koyukon people managed to survive the harsh Alaskan weather and climate by becoming proficient in fishing, hunting, and trapping. Historically, the Koyukon entered into direct contact with the Russians in the first half of the 19th century (ANS 242X Indigenous Cultures of Alaska). Trading relationships were established based on the acquiring and selling of fur. However, the smallpox epidemic in the 1880s severely harmed the population, with over a third of people passing away.
Gwich’in
The Gwichʼin, alongside the Dena’ina and Koyukon, is a group that speaks a dialect derived from the Athabascan language. Living on territories on the north of the Artic circle, the Gwichʼin are proficient in hunting and fishing, with the primary food sources being caribou and salmon. The first contact with the Euromericans is reported as happening in the last 18th century (ANS 242X Indigenous Cultures of Alaska). With the establishment of trade, the lives of the Gwich’in people have changed, beginning with how they hunt due to the appearance of firearms and following with the presence of different social settlements. Colonization has correlated with further devastating phenomena for the tribes, including diseases Natives was not immune to, religious oppression, and exploitation of people and resources.
Conclusion
The Athabascans are the broader group that consists of multiple tribes and further demographics that speak dialects of the Athabascan language. In the current paper, three groups were discussed, including the Dena’ina, Koyukon, and Gwich’in. Similarities can be observed between the three demographics despite them speaking different dialects and populating different areas of Alaska. Namely, the need to survive in harsh winters has generated the need to become proficient at taking advantage of the environment and its natural resources. Hence, the Athabascans were efficient at hunting, fishing, and gathering, depending on the seasons. With the establishment of trading contacts with the Russians and, later, with the European settlers, the Athabascan people managed to enhance their hunting and fishing skills yet suffered from the devastating effects of exploitation and diseases. In my opinion, the indigenous people have a rich culture that is to be preserved through informational campaigns and programs aimed at sharing the customs, traditions, and ways of life of the natives. Moreover, I believe the current course content is useful as it is one way through which the Alaskan tribes are being recognized for their resilience.
Works Cited
ANS 242X Indigenous Cultures of Alaska
Athabascans of Interior Alaska. Athabascans of Interior Alaska, 2023, Web.
Boraas, Alan, and Michael Christian. “Alan Boraas and Michael Christian.” Kenai Dena’ina Language Home Page, Web.
“Dena’ina Time Travel” Web.
Kenaitze Indian Tribe. “Home.” Kenaitze Indian Tribe, 2023, Web.