Ahtna language facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ahtna
Koht’aene Kenaege', Atnakenaege’
Native to	United States
Region	Alaska (Copper River region)
Ethnicity	500 Ahtna (1995)
Native speakers	15  (2020) 30 (2011)
Language family	Dené–Yeniseian? Na-Dené Athabaskan Northern Athabaskan Ahtna
Writing system	Latin (Ahtna alphabet)
Official status
Official language in	Alaska
Pre-contact distribution of Ahtna
Ahtna is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Ahtna or Ahtena (/ˈɑːtnə/) is a special language spoken by the Ahtna people. They live in the Copper River area of Alaska. The name "Ahtna" comes from At Na, which means "Copper River." People also call this language Copper River or Mednovskiy.

Ahtna is part of the larger Na-Dené language family. It has four different ways of speaking, called dialects: Upper, Central, Lower, and Western. Today, people still speak three of these dialects. Ahtna is very similar to the Dena'ina language.

Ahtna Language: A Look Back

Ahtna is one of eleven Athabaskan languages found in Alaska. It comes from a very old language called proto-Athabaskan. This ancient language might have started 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. This was when people crossed a land bridge called Beringia from Asia to North America.

Many Native American languages, like Navajo, came from this early language. That's why Ahtna and Navajo share some similarities. The Ahtna language has changed a lot over time. It is still changing even today. In the last 100 years, more than 100 new words have joined the Ahtna vocabulary. Many of these words came from European and American influences.

When Russians came to Alaska, they introduced many Russian words into Ahtna. More recently, English words have also become part of the language. Some words were also borrowed from the native Alaskan Tlingit and Alutiiq people.

Where Ahtna is Spoken

The Ahtna people live in the Copper River Basin and the Wrangell Mountains in Alaska. This area is bordered by the Nutzotin River and the Alaska Range in the north. The Talkeetna Mountains are to the west, and the Chugach Mountains are to the south.

The Ahtna people live in and near their traditional villages. There are eight villages in the Ahtna region: Cantwell, Chistochina, Chitina, Copper Center, Gakona, Gulkana, Mentasta, and Tazlina. All these villages are officially recognized by the government.

• The Upper Ahtna live on the upper part of the Copper River.
• The Central Ahtna live a bit further down the river.
• The Lower Ahtna live near where the Copper River meets the Gulf of Alaska.
• The Western Ahtna live to the west of the river.

Saving the Ahtna Language

Sadly, the Ahtna language is in danger of disappearing. Out of about 500 Ahtna people, only 15 elderly speakers remain.

Katie John (1915–2013) was an important activist for fishing rights. She helped create an alphabet for Ahtna in the 1970s. She also made a guide to help people learn how to say words in the Mentasta dialect.

In 2012, a book of poems called The Indian Prophet was published. It had poems in both Ahtna and English by the poet John Smelcer.

There are also efforts to teach the language. The Ya Ne Dah Ah School in Sutton, Alaska includes Ahtna language lessons in its classes. Since 2010, there has been a project to save Ahtna words and recordings digitally.

Ahtna Dialects and Groups

The Ahtna language has four main dialects. Within these dialects, there are eight different tribal groups, or "bands":

• Lower Ahtna (they call themselves Atnahwt'aene)
  • Chitina/Taral Band
  • Tonsina/Klutina Band
• Central Ahtna or Middle Ahtna (they call themselves Dan'ehwt'aene)
  • Gulkona/Gakona Band
• Western Ahtna (they call themselves Tsaay Hwt'aene)
  • Tyone/Mendeltna Band
  • Cantwell/Denali Band
• Upper Ahtna (they call themselves Tatl'ahwt'aene)
  • Sanford River/Chistochina Band
  • Slana/Batzulnetas Band
  • Mentasta Band

Animal Names in Athabaskan Languages

Here's how some animal names compare in Ahtna and two other Athabaskan languages:

See also

In Spanish: Idioma ahtna para niños