Peter Kalifornsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Kalifornsky
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| Born | October 12, 1911 Kalifornsky Village, District of Alaska |
| Died | June 5, 1993 (aged 81) Nikiski, Alaska |
| Occupation | writer, ethnographer, translator |
| Nationality | American (Dena'ina Indian) |
| Subject | Dena'ina stories, traditions, and language |
Peter Kalifornsky (born October 12, 1911 – died June 5, 1993) was an important writer and expert on the Dena'ina people. He was part of the Dena'ina Athabaskan group from Kenai, Alaska. He worked hard to save and share the stories and language of his people.
Contents
About Peter Kalifornsky
Peter Kalifornsky was the great-grandson of a man named Qadanalchen. This ancestor took the name Kalifornsky after working in a Russian-American settlement in California. The village of Kalifornsky, Alaska was named after him.
Saving the Dena'ina Language and Stories
Peter Kalifornsky wrote many traditional stories, poems, and language lessons. He used the Outer Inlet dialect of the Dena'ina language. This language belongs to the Athabaskan family.
As a respected elder, Kalifornsky helped create a written version of the Dena'ina language. For over 19 years, he worked to write down as many sukdu (traditional stories) as he could remember. He also translated these stories into English. He even wrote new stories in Dena'ina, including some about his own life.
Near the end of his life, he teamed up with a language expert, James Kari, and an anthropologist, Alan Boraas. Together, they put all his writings into a book.
His Main Book: A Dena'ina Legacy
In 1991, a very important book was published called A Dena'ina Legacy — K'tl'egh'i Sukdu: The Collected Writings of Peter Kalifornsky. This book has 147 writings in both Dena'ina and English. On most pages, the original Dena'ina text is on the left side. The English translation is right next to it on the right side. This made it easy for people to learn both the language and the stories.
What He Wrote
Peter Kalifornsky wrote many books and shorter pieces. Here are some of his published works:
Books He Published
- 1977; revised 1981. Kahtnuht’ana Qenaga: The Kenai People’s Language. This book teaches the Kenai Dena'ina language.
- 1984. K’tl’egh’i Sukdu: Remaining Stories. This collection contains more Dena'ina stories.
- 1991. A Dena’ina Legacy — K’tl’egh’i Sukdu: The Collected Writings of Peter Kalifornsky. This is his most complete collection of writings.
Shorter Stories and Articles
- 1974. K’eła Sukdu, The Mouse Story. A short story about a mouse.
- 1974. Ch’enlahi Sukdu, The Gambling Story. A story about gambling.
- 1975. “The Lord’s Prayer.” He translated this prayer.
- 1975. “Qunshi Uquch’el’ani, Beluga Hunting.” A story about hunting beluga whales.
- 1980. Five Legends of the Dena’ina People. A collection of five legends.
- 1983. “Unhshcheyakda: My Great-Great-Grandfather.” A piece about his ancestor.
- 1985. “The Mouse Story,” “The Gambling Story,” “Crow and the One-Side Human,” “The Old Dena’ina Beliefs.” These stories were published in a special magazine issue.
See also
