Ahtna Place Names Lists
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Ahtna Place Names Lists 2nd edition revised Alaska Native Language Center • 2008 Cover-Kari, Ahtna 20090304.indd 1 3/9/09 10:55:27 AM About the cover: Detail from the 1887 map drawn in 1885 by the Henry T. Allen U.S. Military expedition. The four maps with Allen’s report are considered to be the most accurate maps of Alaska prior to the professional mapping by the USGS in the late 1890s. Of the map work Allen (1887:117) wrote: I think the great care taken to secure a correct description of the rivers will be of great value... Each of the maps is constructed on a polyconic projection from tables published by the Bureau of Navigation, and ... on a scale if 1 inch to 4 miles. The considerable detail on Copper River geography and on Ahtna sites, trails and place names is recognition of and tribute to the “shared knowledge” and geographic expertise of the Ahtna leadership who facilitated the travel of the three-member expedition. Copper spear point tsedi k’a’ found off Turnagain Arm in the 1990s. Since Copper River was the main regional source for copper is possible this was made by an Ahtna copper smith. From the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. Photo by Walter VanHorn. Cover design by Dixon Jones, UAF Rasmuson Library Ahtna Place Names Lists 2nd edition revised by James Kari Alaska Native Language Center 2008 © 2008 Alaska Native Language Center 2nd edition revised, 350 copies 1983 1st edition published by Copper River Native Association & Alaska Native Language Center, 1st printing 500 copies ISBN no. 978-1-55500-099-8 contact: James Kari Professor of Linguistics, Emeritus Alaska Native Language Center University of Alaska, Fairbanks [email protected] Table of Contents List of Maps and Tables .................................................. iii Format, Symbols and Abbreviations ........................................ iv Acknowledgments ...................................................... vi Ahtna Athabascan place names as shared knowledge ............................1 References ............................................................33 0 Extraterritorial and regional ...............................................37 1 Copper River, mouth to Chitina ............................................38 2 Chitina River ..........................................................44 3 Copper River above Chitina to Klutina River . 49 4 Tonsina River ..........................................................59 5 Klutina River ..........................................................63 6 Copper River, Klutina River to Tazlina River . 67 7 Tazlina River ..........................................................68 8 Matanuska River, headwaters to mouth ......................................76 9 Copper River, Tazlina River to Gulkana River mouth ..........................83 10 Gulkana River .........................................................85 11 Delta River ...........................................................103 12 Copper River, Gulkana to Gakona River and up Gakona River . 105 13 Copper River, Gakona River to Chistochina River and up Chistochina River . 108 14 Copper River, Chistochina to Slana River . 114 15 Slana River ...........................................................117 16 Tok River ............................................................124 17 Upper Copper River above Slana River .....................................129 18 Nabesna River, Chisana River, White River . 132 19 Nenana River, Healy area to headwaters ....................................135 20 Susitna River, headwaters to Devil Canyon . 141 Map 1. The Ahtna language area ..................................................3 Map 2. Distribution of Ahtna place names ..........................................4 Map 3. Nine career travel maps ...................................................6 Map 4. 1981 sketch map by Jake Tansy of Upper Susitna River area . 8 Map 5. Two sets of Ahtna place name clusters ......................................26 Map 6. Guide to drainage sections and numbers . 36 Table 1. Chronology of sources with numbers of Ahtna place names ....................... 9 Table 2. Summary of Ahtna-origin names as official names on USGS maps . 10 Table 3. Chronology of sources pertaining to Matanuska River & Tazlina Lake-River trails . 11 Table 4. Summary of Ahtna place names data by drainage in 1983, 2004 and 2008 . 13 Table 5. Analyzability of Ahtna place names .......................................14 Table 6. Some patterns of Ahtna place name content . 16 Table 7. Landscape terms NOT common in Ahtna place names . 18 Table 8. Landscape and toponymic structures in Ahtna . 19-22 Table 9. Ahtna riverine directional structure . 23 Table 10. Riverine directionals in place names . 27 Format, Symbols and Abbreviations A. Sample of entry format no. Ahtna place name map name or location ‘literal translation’ (A> = Ahtna-origin name) 91.1 Tsedi Na' A> Chitina River 'copper river' 61.5133, -144.2926 [1] Wrangell 1839, Allen 1887:22.deLaguna 1970:4; Orth:Indian name meaning "copper river" reported by Dall (1870, p. 272) who spelled it "Chechitno" and "Chetchitno." 92 Tsedi Cae'e mouth of Chitina River 'copper mouth' 61.5126, -144.3961 [1] 93 Saghani T'ox Na' first ck on S bank 'raven nest creek' 61.4991, -144.3512 [3-AB] 94 Saghani T'ox mt at first ck on S bank 'raven nest' 61.4941, -144.3293 [2-AB] 95 Hwyii Detaani Bene' lake 1063 NE of Strelna Lake 'pond inside lake' 61.535, -144.2147 [2-AB] latitude, longitude [2-AB] = sources for name, comments on name name salience & initials of Ahtna source B. General abbreviations XX marked for further questions N, S, E,W north, south east west mi mile ck creek mt mountain sth. something (c’- indefinite prefix) C. Ahtna place name entry conventions: [....] transliterated or reconstructed place name (name not re-elicited) “...” spelled as quoted from source (...) word that is used optionally: Tek'ez'aann Ghatgge ('En) dialects: C Central, L Lower, W Western, U Upper, M Mentasta languages: D Dena’ina, MT Middle Tanana, Tc Tanacross, UT Upper Tanana D. Map name and location conventions: “Fish Creek” locally used unofficial name “long” triangulation point on USGS maps > official name that derives from an Ahtna or other Athabascan place name or from a Native personal name: A> Tanada Lake n.k. location of feature is not known E. Literal translation conventions: ‘....’ literal translation within single quotes “...” interpretive translation (folk etymology) by Ahtna speaker (no literal translation) ‘?... initial ? = possible or speculative translation ‘...?...’ untranslatable word or morpheme within the name iv ‘...’, or ‘...’ name with two possible translations ‘....~’ ellipsis, missing stem in place names; lit. translation is approximate or speculative opaque morphemes, not translatable by speakers and that do not seem to match with other morphemes in Ahtna inventory F. Ahtna speakers as sources and place name salience *See speakers’ initials as listed in Acknowledgments below 3-JMc obscure name reported by Jim McKinley. percentage of 2208 names 0 name not known (name is absent, transliterated or inferred) 22 = .09% 1 well-known names; 589 = 27% 2 locally known names; 1313 = 59% 3 obscure names, known by some experts; 284 = 13% PIC Jack John Justin and James Kari discussing place names at Jack’s Upper Nabesna cabin in September of 1981. Photo by Robert John Jr. using Jack’s Polaroid camera. v Acknowledgments I thank all of the Ahtna speakers and the other Athabascan speakers who have contributed names to the lists in this report. Listed here by dialect area are 110 persons who are sources of names and locational information either with Frederica deLaguna (1954-1968), Constance West (1973), Holly Reckord (1973-1975) or myself (since 1974). Perhaps another fifty Ahtna persons (most of whom are unnamed) have contributed Ahtna place names (to Allen, various USGS geologists and others). Therefore about 160 speakers of Ahtna or of neighboring Athabascan languages have contributed names and locations that are presented in this 2008 edition of Ahtna Place Names Lists. *Note: Initials of speakers who cited as sources for names, e.g.: [2-AB] Lower Ahtna: Jim McKinley (JMc), Fannie Shtienfield, Andy Brown (AB), Frank Billum (FB), John Billum (JB), Walter Charley (WC), Mildred Buck, Wallya Hobson (WH), Mollie Billum, Maggie Eskilida, Bacili George (BG), Bob Marshall (BM), Henry Bell, Etta Bell, Adam Bell. Also with deLaguna or West: Tenas Charley, Douglas Billum, Mary Ann Billum, Rena Jacomet Central Ahtna: Martha Jackson, Fred Ewan (FE), Markle Ewan Sr., Nancy George, Harry Johns Sr., Sophie Lincoln (SL), Louis Lincoln, Ruth Johns , Ben Neeley (BN), Hazel Neeley, Alice Gene, Buster Gene, Jack Tyone, Jim Tyone (JTy), Nick Tyone, Andrew Stickwan, Elsie Stickwan, Frank Stickwan, (FS), Pete Stickwan, Danny Ewan, Eileen Ewan, Harding Ewan, Oscar Ewan, Pete Ewan, Stella Ewan, Annie Tyone, Maggie Joe, Frank Hobson, Betty Tyone, Mamie Charley, Andy Tyone, Fred Sinyon, Stewart Nickolai, Markle Pete (MP), Virginia Pete, Nick Jackson, Tenas Jack, Jeannie Maxim, Annie Ewan. Also with deLaguna or West: Arthur Jackson, Tony Jackson, Grandma McKinley, Oscar Craig, Copper Center Pete, James Sinyon Upper Ahtna: Katie John (KJ), Fred John Sr. (FJ), Kate Sanford, Jack John Justin (JJJ), Bell Joe (BJ), Adam Sanford (AS), Frank Sanford, Johnny Nickolai, Howard Sanford, Huston Sanford, Ruby Sinyon, Laura Hancock, Paul Sinyon, Gene Henry (GH), Molly Galbreath, Lena Charley, Jerry Charley, Doris Charles, Lillian Boston, Wilson Justin. Also