Dena’ina

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For the Athabascan language, see Dena'ina language.

Alaska Native Languages

The Dena’ina (also Tanaina) are an Alaska Native people, an extended tribe of American Indian lineage. They are the original inhabitants of the southcentral Alaska region ranging from Seldovia in the south to Chickaloon in the northeast, Talkeetna in the north, Lime Village in the Northwest and Pedro Bay in the Southwest.

The name means "The people," and is related to the preferred name for the Navajo people "Dene". The Dena'ina name for Cook Inlet is Tikahtnu meaning "Big Water River" or Nuti meaning "Saltwater." The Dena'ina are the only Northern Athabascan group to live on saltwater and this allowed them to have the most sedentary lifestyle of all Northern Athabascans. Their traditional language, Dena’ina, currently has about 70-75 fluent speakers out of a total population of about 1400. Dena'ina is one of eleven Alaska Athabascan languages. There are four primary dialects of Dena'ina: Inland, Iliamna, Upper Inlet, and Outer Inlet.

The city of Anchorage chose to honor the Dena’ina by naming the city's new convention center the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.