DOCSLIB.ORG

Dena'ina Noun Dictionary

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dena'ina Noun Dictionary Alaska Athabascan stellar astronomy Item Type Thesis Authors Cannon, Christopher M. Download date 28/09/2021 20:20:17 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/4817 ALASKA ATHABASCAN STELLAR ASTRONOMY A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Christopher M. Cannon, B.S. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2014 © 2014 Christopher M. Cannon Abstract Stellar astronomy is a fundamental component of Alaska Athabascan cultures that facilitates time-reckoning, navigation, weather forecasting, and cosmology. Evidence from the linguistic record suggests that a group of stars corresponding to the Big Dipper is the only widely attested constellation across the Northern Athabascan languages. However, instruction from expert Athabascan consultants shows that the correlation of these names with the Big Dipper is only partial. In Alaska Gwich’in, Ahtna, and Upper Tanana languages the Big Dipper is identified as one part of a much larger circumpolar humanoid constellation that spans more than 133 degrees across the sky. The Big Dipper is identified as a tail, while the other remaining asterisms within the humanoid constellation are named using other body part terms. The concept of a whole-sky humanoid constellation provides a single unifying system for mapping the night sky, and the reliance on body-part metaphors renders the system highly mnemonic. By recognizing one part of the constellation the stargazer is immediately able to identify the remaining parts based on an existing mental map of the human body. The circumpolar position of a whole-sky constellation yields a highly functional system that facilitates both navigation and time-reckoning in the subarctic. Northern Athabascan astronomy is not only much richer than previously described; it also provides evidence for a completely novel and previously undocumented way of conceptualizing the sky—one that is unique to the subarctic and uniquely adapted to northern cultures. The concept of a large humanoid constellation may be widespread across the entire subarctic and have great antiquity. In addition, the use of cognate body part terms describing asterisms within humanoid constellations is similarly found in Navajo, suggesting a common ancestor from which Northern and Southern Athabascan stellar naming strategies derived. v Table of Contents Page Signature Page …………………………………………………………………………………….i Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………………...iii Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………...v Table of Contents ………………………..………………………………………………………vii List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………..……………..xi List of Tables ………………………………………………………………..……….…………xiii List of Appendices ……………………………………….……………………………………...xv Acknowledgments …………………………………...…………………..…….………………xvii Chapter 1: Introductory Materials ………………………………………………….…….……….1 1.1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..1 1.2 Literature Review ………………………………………………………………….....3 1.2.1 Southern Athabascan Sources …………………………...………………….3 1.2.2 Alaska Athabascan Sources ………………………………………………...5 1.2.3 Canadian Athabascan Sources ……………………………………………...8 1.2.4 Alaska Athabascan Dictionaries ………………………………………........9 1.2.5 Unpublished Materials …………………………………………………….10 1.3 Methodology ……………………………………………………………………..… 13 1.4 The Athabascan Language Family …………………………………………………..16 Chapter 2: The Athabascan Starscape – Whole-Sky Constellations ………………………........23 2.1 Gwich’in Yahdii …………………………………………………………………......24 2.2 Upper Tanana Yihdaa and Neek’e’eltiin ……………………...……………………..31 vii Page 2.3 Ahtna Nek’e Neghaltaexi and Nek’eltaeni ……………….………..……………..….38 2.4 Dena’ina Naq’eltani and Yuq’eltaeni …………………….………….…………........44 2.5 Koyukon Naagheltaale ………………………………………………………..…….47 2.6 Tanacross Neek’e’elteen ………………………………………………………….....51 2.7 Fragmentary Evidence from the Other Alaska Athabascan Languages …………….51 2.8 Chapter Two Conclusion ………………………………………………………........53 Chapter 3: Linguistic Evidence for a Pan-Athabascan Strategy for Mapping the Sky ………….57 3.1 Two Widely Attested Athabascan Forms for the Big Dipper ……………………….57 3.1.1 Category A: Yahdii and Cognates Thereof …….………………………….60 3.1.2 Category B: Big Dipper Terms that Share Common Verb Stems and Prefix Morphemes ……………………………………………………………………...64 3.1.3 Category C: Other Big Dipper Terms ……………………………………..70 3.3 Body Part Asterisms …………………………………………………………….......71 3.4 Chapter Three Conclusion ……………………………………………………….….78 Chapter 4: The Function and Utility of Alaska Athabascan Stellar Astronomy …………….......81 4.1 Stellar Time-Reckoning ……………………………………………………………..81 4.1.1 A Tripartite Stellar Time-Reckoning System ……………………………..83 4.1.2 The Big Dipper and Whole-Sky Constellations in Time-Reckoning ……..84 4.1.3 The Morning Stars in Time-Reckoning …………………………………...92 4.1.4 The Sun in Time-Reckoning ……………………………………………..103 4.2 Stellar Orientation ………………………………………………………………….108 4.2.1 Stellar Orientation: A Basic Strategy …………………………………….114 4.2.3 Stellar Orientation: A Complex Strategy ………………………..……….116 viii Page 4.3 Weather Signs Interpreted from the Stars ………………………………………….121 4.4 Stars in Cosmology and Religion ………………………………………………….128 4.4.1 The Creation or Placement of the Stars ………………………………….129 4.4.2 Taboos, Protocols, and Other Stellar Beliefs …………………………….133 4.4.3 Humanoid Constellations in Athabascan Belief Systems ………………..136 4.5 Chapter Four Conclusion …………………………………………………………..141 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………….………….143 References …………………………………………………………………………………..….151 Appendices ………………………………………….……………………….………...……….165 ix List of Figures Page Figure 1.1. Map of “Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska” ….....…………………..…18 Figure 1.2. Na-Dene evolutionary tree ………………………………………...………………..20 Figure 2.1. Whole-sky view of the Gwich’in humanoid constellation yahdii …………………..29 Figure 2.2. Whole-sky view of the Upper Tanana (Northway) constellation neek’e’eltiin ……..34 Figure 2.3. Whole-sky view of the Upper Tanana (Tetlin) constellation yihdaa ……………….36 Figure 2.4. Whole-sky view of the Ahtna constellation nek’eltaeni/nek’e nekeghaltaexi ………41 Figure 2.5. Whole-sky view of the Koyukon constellation naagheltaale ………………………49 Figure 3.1. Distribution of Athabascan Ursa Major/Big Dipper terminology …………………..59 Figure 3.2. Distribution of Athabascan body part asterisms/constellations ……………………..73 Figure 4.1. The Ahtna temporal period yikaas ts’e’ cila’ ilts’iitl’ ………………………………87 Figure 4.2. The Gwich’in constellation of three morning stars …………………………………97 Figure 4.3. A trail sign for time based on the sun’s position ………….………………………107 Figure 4.4. Aerial and ground views of the Yukon Flats ……..………………………………..112 Figure 4.5. The Upper Tanana (Tetlin) stellar group san’ di’ehtsąą’ ………………………….119 Figure 4.6. A bright star known generally as the moon’s dog …………………………………125 Figure 4.7. Upper Tanana kinship terminology applied to stars ………………...……………..131 xi List of Tables Page Table 2.1 Gwich’in constellation terms glossed as the Big Dipper or Ursa Major ……………..24 Table 2.2. Asterisms in the Gwich’in constellation yahdii ……………………………………...27 Table 2.3 Asterisms in the Upper Tanana (Northway) constellation neek’e’eltiin ……………...32 Table 2.4. Asterisms in the Upper Tanana (Tetlin) constellation yihdaa ……………………….36 Table 2.5. Asterisms in the Upper Tanana (Scottie Creek) constellation yihdaa ……………….37 Table 2.6. Asterisms in the Ahtna constellation nek’eltaeni/nek’e nekeghaltaexi ……………...42 Table 2.7. Constellation terms from the Mentasta-Batzulnetas dialect of Ahtna ……………….44 Table 2.8. Unidentified Dena’ina star names from the Upper Cook Inlet dialect ………………46 Table 2.9. Asterisms in the Koyukon constellation naagheltaale or sekgheltaale ……………...48 Table 2.10. Population and speaker statstics of Alaska Athabascan languages ………………...52 Table 3.1. Northern Athabascan languages with a constellation term cognate to yahdii ……….61 Table 3.2. Athabascan terms for Ursa Major which describe the constellation’s motion ………65 Table 3.3. Southern Athabascan and Dena’ina Big Dipper terms cognate to náhookǫs ………..66 Table 3.4. Alaska Athabascan constellation terms comprised of the stem ‘animate object’…….67 Table 3.5. Athabascan constellation terms that incorporate the iterative prefix na-/no- ………..69 Table 3.6. Athabascan languages that exclusively utilize an alternative Big Dipper term ……...71 Table 3.7. Athabascan star names based on the term for ‘tail’…………………………………..72 Table 3.8. Terms for Alaska Athabascan and Navajo body part asterisms ……………………..75 Table 4.1. Temporal periods delineated by the Big Dipper/humanoid constellation …….……..88 Table 4.2. Alaska Athabascan terms for ‘morning star(s)’ …………………….………………..93 Table 4.3. Ahtna diurnal divisions of time based on a spring schedule ………………………..105 Table 4.4. Alaska Athabascan weather signs based on the appearance of stars ……………….122 xiii Page Table 4.5. Names and weather signs interpreted from stars near the moon …………………...127 Table 4.6. General terms for stars in each Alaska Athabascan language ……………………...132 xiv List of Appendices Page Appendix A. Alaska Athabascan star and constellation names ………………………………..165 Appendix B. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval letter ……………………………….190 xv Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisory committee chair, Dr. Gary Holton, for supporting this research in all aspects from securing funding to assisting me with fieldwork, data analysis and writing, and for his encouragement. Thanks also to the other members of my graduate committee,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Natal Fixed Star Report
    Natal Fixed Star Report For Megan Fox Born Friday 16 May 1986 Natal Star Report For: Megan Fox Friday 16 May 1986 12:35 AM EDT +04:00 Oak Ridge, Tennessee Lat 35°N59'18", Long 84°W17'11" Orbs used 2.00 minutes parans, 4.00 minutes angles Day beginning at Sunrise On the day you were born, you not only gained the magic of your horoscope, you also gained the myths and meanings of a sky full of stars. Not all the stars, just those that formed links to your natal planets via what is called parans. By considering the star parans in your life you will be encountering a whole new (though very old) layer of myth and meaning to your chart. Welcome to your Stars. Each star has a unique and wonderful pattern of visibility for any given place on earth. Some stars will be visible for a period in the night, yet later in the year they will fail to appear and be lost to the view of stargazers. Others will also rise or set at night, but instead of disappearing from view altogether, they will lose touch with the horizon and spend the whole night being visible in the starry sky. Yet both these sorts of stars will eventually return to rising or setting during the night, with each individual star doing so on a particular date of the year. However, there is also another set of stars that do not partake of this dance and are always visible, and never sink beneath the horizon, spending every night circling around the pole.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 May June Newsletter
    MAY / JUNE NEWSLETTER CLUB COMMITTEE 2020 CONTENT President Karl Herman 2304946 President Report - 1 Secretary Clare Atkinson 2159441 Photos - 2 Treasurer Nicola Fleming 2304604 Club Notices - 3 Tuitions Cheryl Cross 0275120144 Jokes - 3-4 Pub Relations Wendy Butler 0273797227 Fundraising - 4 Hall Mgr James Phillipson 021929916 Demos - 5 Editor/Cleaner Jeanette Hope - Johnstone Birthdays - 5 0276233253 New Members - 5 Demo Co-Ord Izaak Sanders 0278943522 Member Profile - 6 Committee: Pauline Rodan, Brent Shirley & Evelyn Sooalo Rock n Roll Personalities History - 7-14 Sale and wanted - 15 THE PRESIDENTS BOOGIE WOOGIE Hi guys, it seems forever that I have seen you all in one way or another, 70 days to be exact!! Bit scary and I would say a number of you may have to go through beginner lessons again and also wear name tags lol. On the 9th of May the national association had their AGM with a number of clubs from throughout New Zealand that were involved. First time ever we had to run the meeting through zoom so talking to 40 odd people from around the country was quite weird but it worked. A number of remits were discussed and voted on with a collection of changes mostly good but a few I didn’t agree with but you all can see it all on the association website if you are interested in looking . Also senior and junior nationals were voted on where they should be hosted and that is also advertised on their website. Juniors next year will be in Porirua and Seniors will be in Wanganui.
    [Show full text]
  • Unit 2 Basic Concepts of Positional Astronomy
    Basic Concepts of UNIT 2 BASIC CONCEPTS OF POSITIONAL Positional Astronomy ASTRONOMY Structure 2.1 Introduction Objectives 2.2 Celestial Sphere Geometry of a Sphere Spherical Triangle 2.3 Astronomical Coordinate Systems Geographical Coordinates Horizon System Equatorial System Diurnal Motion of the Stars Conversion of Coordinates 2.4 Measurement of Time Sidereal Time Apparent Solar Time Mean Solar Time Equation of Time Calendar 2.5 Summary 2.6 Terminal Questions 2.7 Solutions and Answers 2.1 INTRODUCTION In Unit 1, you have studied about the physical parameters and measurements that are relevant in astronomy and astrophysics. You have learnt that astronomical scales are very different from the ones that we encounter in our day-to-day lives. In astronomy, we are also interested in the motion and structure of planets, stars, galaxies and other celestial objects. For this purpose, it is essential that the position of these objects is precisely defined. In this unit, we describe some coordinate systems (horizon , local equatorial and universal equatorial ) used to define the positions of these objects. We also discuss the effect of Earth’s daily and annual motion on the positions of these objects. Finally, we explain how time is measured in astronomy. In the next unit, you will learn about various techniques and instruments used to make astronomical measurements. Study Guide In this unit, you will encounter the coordinate systems used in astronomy for the first time. In order to understand them, it would do you good to draw each diagram yourself. Try to visualise the fundamental circles, reference points and coordinates as you make each drawing.
    [Show full text]
  • III. 9 the HELIACAL RISING of SIRIUS Teije De Jong the Heliacal Rising of Sirius, the Brightest Star in the Sky, Was Used In
    III. 9 THE HELIACAL RISING OF SIRIUS Teije de Jong The heliacal rising of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, was used in antiquity, both in Egypt and in Mesopotamia, to synchronize the cal- endar to the solar year. On the day of its heliacal rising Sirius is seen again for the first time in the morning twilight sky after having been invisible for about 70 days (at the geographical latitude of Memphis). On that day it appears a few degrees above the Eastern horizon and disappears again after about 15 minutes due to the brightening of the sky just before sunrise. The date of heliacal rising depends on the rel- ative positions of Sirius and the Sun with respect to the horizon and on atmospheric conditions. According to Parker in the ancient Egyptian lunar calendar an addi- tional 13th month was intercalated in the next year whenever the first visibility of Sirius (associated with the Goddess Sothis) occurred during the last 11 days of the last month Wep renpet of the lunar year.1 In this way the Egyptians could make sure that the first month Toth of their lunar calendar always began shortly (within one lunar month) after the first visibility of Sirius. The heliacal rising of Sirius plays a crucial role in Egyptian chronology because it is supposed to fix the zero-point of the Egyptian civil calendar of 365 days by postulating that at the time of its installation the first visibility of Sirius occurred on the first day of the first month. One of the earliest references to the use of Sirius for intercalation in the Mesopotamian lunar calendar is found on Tablet II of MUL.APIN where we are told that if Sirius rises in the month Du"uzu (the 4th month) this year is normal but if it rises in the month Abu (the 5th) an extra month has to be intercalated that year.2 On Tablet I the nom- inal date of the first visibility of Sirius in the lunar calendar is given 1 R.
    [Show full text]
  • Celestial Navigation (Fall) NAME GROUP
    SIERRA COLLEGE OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY LABORATORY EXERCISE Lab N03: Celestial Navigation (Fall) NAME GROUP OBJECTIVE: Learn about the Celestial Coordinate System. Learn about stellar designations. Learn about deep sky object designations. INTRODUCTION: The Horizon Coordinate System is simple, but flawed, because the altitude and azimuth measures of stars change as the sky rotates. Astronomers have developed an improved scheme called the Celestial Coordinate System, which is fixed with the stars. The two coordinates are Right Ascension and Declination. Declination ranges from the North Celestial Pole to the South Celestial Pole, with the Celestial Equator being a line around the sky at the midline of those two extremes. We will use these coordinates when navigating using the SC001 and SC002 charts. There are many ways to designate stars. The most common is called the Bayer designations. The Bayer designation of a star starts with a Greek letter. The brightest star in the constellation gets “alpha” (the first letter in the Greek alphabet), the second brightest star gets “beta,” and so on. (The Greek alphabet is shown below.) The Bayer designation must also include the constellation name. There are only 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, so this system is obviously very limited. The Greek alphabet 1) Alpha 7) Eta 13) Nu 19) Tau 2) Beta 8) Theta 14) Xi 20) Upsilon 3) Gamma 9) Iota 15) Omicron 21) Phi 4) Delta 10) Kappa 16) Pi 22) Chi 5) Epsilon 11) Lambda 17) Rho 23) Psi 6) Zeta 12) Mu 18) Sigma 24) Omega A more extensive naming system is called the Flamsteed designation.
    [Show full text]
  • Eyak Podcast Gr: 9-12 (Lesson 1)
    HONORING EYAK: EYAK PODCAST GR: 9-12 (LESSON 1) Elder Quote: “We have a dictionary pertaining to the Eyak language, since there are so few of us left. That’s something my mom neve r taught me, was the Eyak language. It is altogether different than the Aleut. There are so few of us left that they have to do a book about the Eyak Tribe. There are so many things that my mother taught me, like smoking fish, putting up berries, and how to keep our wild meat. I have to show you; I can’t tell you how it is done, but anything you want to know I’ll tell you about the Eyak tribe.” - Rosie Lankard, 1980i Grade Level: 9-12 Overview: Heritage preservation requires both active participation and awareness of cultural origins. The assaults upon Eyak culture and loss of fluent Native speakers in the recent past have made the preservation of Eyak heritage even more challenging. Here students actively investigate and discuss Eyak history and culture to inspire their production of culturally insightful podcasts. Honoring Eyak Page 1 Cordova Boy in sealskin, Photo Courtesy of Cordova Historical Society Standards: AK Cultural: AK Content: CRCC: B1: Acquire insights from other Geography B1: Know that places L1: Students should understand the cultures without diminishing the integrity have distinctive characteristics value and importance of the Eyak of their own. language and be actively involved in its preservation. Lesson Goal: Students select themes or incidents from Eyak history and culture to create culturally meaningful podcasts. Lesson Objectives: Students will: Review and discuss Eyak history.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lore of the Stars, for Amateur Campfire Sages
    obscure. Various claims have been made about Babylonian innovations and the similarity between the Greek zodiac and the stories, dating from the third millennium BCE, of Gilgamesh, a legendary Sumerian hero who encountered animals and characters similar to those of the zodiac. Some of the Babylonian constellations may have been popularized in the Greek world through the conquest of The Lore of the Stars, Alexander in the fourth century BCE. Alexander himself sent captured Babylonian texts back For Amateur Campfire Sages to Greece for his tutor Aristotle to interpret. Even earlier than this, Babylonian astronomy by Anders Hove would have been familiar to the Persians, who July 2002 occupied Greece several centuries before Alexander’s day. Although we may properly credit the Greeks with completing the Babylonian work, it is clear that the Babylonians did develop some of the symbols and constellations later adopted by the Greeks for their zodiac. Contrary to the story of the star-counter in Le Petit Prince, there aren’t unnumerable stars Cuneiform tablets using symbols similar to in the night sky, at least so far as we can see those used later for constellations may have with our own eyes. Only about a thousand are some relationship to astronomy, or they may visible. Almost all have names or Greek letter not. Far more tantalizing are the various designations as part of constellations that any- cuneiform tablets outlining astronomical one can learn to recognize. observations used by the Babylonians for Modern astronomers have divided the sky tracking the moon and developing a calendar. into 88 constellations, many of them fictitious— One of these is the MUL.APIN, which describes that is, they cover sky area, but contain no vis- the stars along the paths of the moon and ible stars.
    [Show full text]
  • Jerry Garcia Song Book – Ver
    JERRY GARCIA SONG BOOK – VER. 9 1. After Midnight 46. Chimes of Freedom 92. Freight Train 137. It Must Have Been The 2. Aiko-Aiko 47. blank page 93. Friend of the Devil Roses 3. Alabama Getaway 48. China Cat Sunflower 94. Georgia on My Mind 138. It Takes a lot to Laugh, It 4. All Along the 49. I Know You Rider 95. Get Back Takes a Train to Cry Watchtower 50. China Doll 96. Get Out of My Life 139. It's a Long, Long Way to 5. Alligator 51. Cold Rain and Snow 97. Gimme Some Lovin' the Top of the World 6. Althea 52. Comes A Time 98. Gloria 140. It's All Over Now 7. Amazing Grace 53. Corina 99. Goin' Down the Road 141. It's All Over Now Baby 8. And It Stoned Me 54. Cosmic Charlie Feelin' Bad Blue 9. Arkansas Traveler 55. Crazy Fingers 100. Golden Road 142. It's No Use 10. Around and Around 56. Crazy Love 101. Gomorrah 143. It's Too Late 11. Attics of My Life 57. Cumberland Blues 102. Gone Home 144. I've Been All Around This 12. Baba O’Riley --> 58. Dancing in the Streets 103. Good Lovin' World Tomorrow Never Knows 59. Dark Hollow 104. Good Morning Little 145. Jack-A-Roe 13. Ballad of a Thin Man 60. Dark Star Schoolgirl 146. Jack Straw 14. Beat it on Down The Line 61. Dawg’s Waltz 105. Good Time Blues 147. Jenny Jenkins 15. Believe It Or Not 62. Day Job 106.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sectionbreak Package∗
    The sectionbreak package∗ Michal Hoftich 2019-03-11 Contents 1 The sectionbreak package 1 1.1 Package options . 1 1.2 Commands . 1 1.3 The tex4ht support . 2 2 Example 2 3 License 2 4 Changelog 3 1 The sectionbreak package This package provides LaTeX support for section breaks, used mainly in fiction books to signal changes in a story, like changes in time, location, etc. (Source: Wikipedia1). 1.1 Package options There are several package options: disable disable section break printing. mark characters printed in the center of the section break. It is space by default, common value might be *** for example. asterism request asterism2 as a section mark. preskip Amount of space printed before the section mark. It should be a dimension unit supported by TeX. postskip Similar to preskip, but it is a space printed after the section mark. skip Set both preskip and postskip to the same value. style LaTeX commands for font style change, like \bfseries, for example. ∗Version v0.1d 1<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_(typography)> 2<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_(typography)> 1 1.2 Commands \sectionbreak[<mark>] print the section break. Optional argument can contain content which should be printed in the break center. \sectionbreakmark{<mark>} set the content printed in the following \sectionbreak commands. \asterism print the asterism (***) symbol. 1.3 The tex4ht support The sectionbreak package has support for tex4ht, so it is possible to use this package in conversion to HTML or other formats supported by this conversion system. It provides the following configurations: \Configure{sectionbreak}{before section break }{after section} this configuration can be used for insertion of a box around the section break mark, which can be styled using CSS to print the blank space around the content.
    [Show full text]
  • Resource for Self-Determination Or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification Among Alaska Native Students
    EdWorkingPaper No. 21-420 Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students Ilana M. Umansky Manuel Vazquez Cano Lorna M. Porter University of Oregon University of Oregon University of Oregon Federal law defines eligibility for English learner (EL) classification differently for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students. Indigenous students, unlike non-Indigenous students, are not required to have a non-English home or primary language. A critical question, therefore, is how EL classification impacts Indigenous students’ educational outcomes. This study explores this question for Alaska Native students, drawing on data from five Alaska school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find evidence that among students who score near the EL classification threshold in kindergarten, EL classification has a large negative impact on Alaska Native students’ academic outcomes, especially in the 3rd and 4th grades. Negative impacts are not found for non-Alaska Native students in the same districts. VERSION: June 2021 Suggested citation: Umansky, Ilana, Manuel Vazquez Cano, and Lorna Porter. (2021). Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students. (EdWorkingPaper: 21-420). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/mym3-1t98 ALASKA NATIVE EL RD Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Examining the Impact of English Learner Classification among Alaska Native Students* Ilana M. Umansky Manuel Vazquez Cano Lorna M. Porter * As authors, we’d like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for meaningful discussion and feedback which shaped the intent, design, analysis, and writing of this study.
    [Show full text]
  • Alaska Native
    To conduct a simple search of the many GENERAL records of Alaska’ Native People in the National Archives Online Catalog use the search term Alaska Native. To search specific areas or villages see indexes and information below. Alaska Native Villages by Name A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Alaska is home to 229 federally recognized Alaska Native Villages located across a wide geographic area, whose records are as diverse as the people themselves. Customs, culture, artwork, and native language often differ dramatically from one community to another. Some are nestled within large communities while others are small and remote. Some are urbanized while others practice subsistence living. Still, there are fundamental relationships that have endured for thousands of years. One approach to understanding links between Alaska Native communities is to group them by language. This helps the student or researcher to locate related communities in a way not possible by other means. It also helps to define geographic areas in the huge expanse that is Alaska. For a map of Alaska Native language areas, see the generalized map of Alaska Native Language Areas produced by the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Click on a specific language below to see Alaska federally recognized communities identified with each language. Alaska Native Language Groups (click to access associated Alaska Native Villages) Athabascan Eyak Tlingit Aleut Eskimo Haida Tsimshian Communities Ahtna Inupiaq with Mixed Deg Hit’an Nanamiut Language Dena’ina (Tanaina)
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Recommendations for Tlingit Language Revitalization Efforts
    Indigenous Tongues: Policy Recommendations for Tlingit Language Revitalization Efforts A Policy Paper for the National Indian Health Board Authored by: Keixe Yaxti/Maka Monture Of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe of Alaska & Six Nations Mohawk of Canada Image 1: “Dig your paddle Deep” by Maka Monture Contents Introduction 2 Background on Tlingit Language 2 Health in Indigenous Languages 2 How Language Efforts Can be Developed 3 Where The State is Now 3 Closing Statement 4 References 4 Appendix I: Supporting Document: Tlingit Human Diagram 5 Appendix II: Supporting Document: Yakutat Tlingit Tribe Resolution 6 Appendix III: Supporting Document: House Concurrent Resolution 19 8 1 Introduction There is a dire need for native language education for the preservation of the Southeastern Alaskan Tlingit language, and Alaskan Tlingit Tribes must prioritize language restoration as the a priority of the tribe for the purpose of revitalizing and perpetuating the aboriginal language of their ancestors. According to the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council, not only are a majority of the 20 recognized Alaska Native languages in danger of being lost at the end of this century, direct action is needed at tribal levels in Alaska. The following policy paper states why Alaskan Tlingit Tribes and The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, a tribal government representing over 30,000 Tlingit and Haida Indians worldwide and a sovereign entity that has a government to government relationship with the United States, must take actions to declare a state of emergency for the Tlingit Language and allocate resources for saving the Tlingit language through education programs.
    [Show full text]