page_title: Alaskan Athabaskans
hierarchical_section_title: Alaskan Athabaskans
caption_attribution_description: Clarence Alexander at 2004 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award in Portland, Oregon
context_page_description: The Alaskan Athabascans, Alaskan Athabaskans, Alaskan Athapaskans are Alaska Native peoples of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. They are the original inhabitants of the interior of Alaska. In Alaska, where they are the oldest, there are eleven groups identified by the languages they speak. These are the Dena’ina or Tanaina, Ahtna or Copper River Athabaskan, Deg Hit’an or Ingalik, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim or Kolchan, Tanana or Lower Tanana, Tanacross or Tanana Crossing, Upper Tanana, Gwich'in or Kutchin, and Hän. The Alaskan Athabascan culture is an inland creek and river fishing and hunter-gatherer culture. The Alaskan Athabascans have a matrilineal system in which children belong to the mother's clan, with the exception of the Yupikized Athabaskans.
  Formerly the word Tinneh was employed to designate the Alaskan Athabaskans, this word being taken from their own language and signifying simply "men" or "people".
context_section_description: The Alaskan Athabascans, Alaskan Athabaskans, Alaskan Athapaskans (Russian: атабаски Аляски, атапаски Аляски) are Alaska Native peoples of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. They are the original inhabitants of the interior of Alaska. In Alaska, where they are the oldest, there are eleven groups identified by the languages they speak. These are the Dena’ina or Tanaina (Ht’ana), Ahtna or Copper River Athabaskan (Hwt’aene), Deg Hit’an or Ingalik (Hitʼan), Holikachuk (Hitʼan), Koyukon (Hut’aane), Upper Kuskokwim or Kolchan (Hwt’ana), Tanana or Lower Tanana (Kokht’ana), Tanacross or Tanana Crossing (Koxt’een), Upper Tanana (Kohtʼiin), Gwich'in or Kutchin (Gwich’in), and Hän (Hwëch’in). The Alaskan Athabascan culture is an inland creek and river fishing (also coastal fishing by only Dena'ina of Cook Inlet) and hunter-gatherer culture. The Alaskan Athabascans have a matrilineal system in which children belong to the mother's clan, with the exception of the Yupikized Athabaskans (Holikachuk and Deg Hit'an).
  Formerly the word Tinneh (nowadays Alaskan Dene; cf. Dene for Canadian Athabaskans) was employed to designate the Alaskan Athabaskans, this word being taken from their own language and signifying simply "men" or "people".
caption: Former Gwich’in Grand Chief Clarence Alexander
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