Dena'ina
The Tanaina, also known as Dena'ina, are an Indigenous people who historically inhabited the south-central region of Alaska, primarily around modern-day Anchorage. Their culture is deeply tied to the natural resources of the area, particularly the five species of salmon that formed the cornerstone of their subsistence lifestyle. During the warmer months, Tanaina men employed various fishing methods, including nets and traps, while women played a crucial role in processing the catch. Their hunting practices included the use of bows and arrows for larger game such as caribou and seals, and they also participated in the fur trade.
Social structure among the Tanaina was marked by wealth accumulation, with the most affluent individuals acting as leaders or headmen, responsible for the welfare of their communities. Potlatch ceremonies, characterized by generous gift-giving, were significant cultural events. Spiritual life was led by shamans, who were believed to possess supernatural abilities and guidance from spirits.
The arrival of Russian fur traders in the 18th century initiated a complex relationship between the Tanaina and Europeans, leading to significant cultural and demographic changes, particularly following a series of devastating epidemics in the 19th century. As fish and fur resources declined, many Tanaina adapted by seeking employment in canneries and railroads. As of 2007, about 1,000 Tanaina remain in Alaska, with ongoing efforts to revitalize their language and culture, including recognition through initiatives such as the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage.
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Subject Terms
Dena'ina
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Subarctic
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Southwestern Alaska
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,500 (US Census Bureau, 2020)
The Dena'ina people, once called the Taniana, historically occupied the south-central region of Alaska in the Subarctic culture area. Their ancestral lands are largely encompassed by modern-day Anchorage. Five species of salmon, which made up the basis of Dena'ina subsistence, inhabited local lakes. In summer, men used nets, spears, and basket traps to catch fish, which the women split and dried. In autumn, hunters used bows and arrows as well as harpoons to hunt harbor seals. Arrows tipped with copper, antler, or stone were used to kill caribou, sheep, moose, or goats. After entering the fur trade, the Dena'ina trapped during the spring and fall.
The Dena'ina traveled extensively on lakes and rivers, using birchbark canoes and mooseskin boats. Snowshoes aided winter travel. Dena'ina Indigenous Americans lived in large, multifamily dwellings that housed ten or more families. Both men and women wore long caribou-skin tunics with animal-skin shirts on top. Clothing was decorated with porcupine quills, shells, and ermine tails.
The Dena'ina people placed great importance on the accumulation and display of wealth. The richest acted as headman, in charge of the health and welfare of others. He accumulated animal skins, manufactured items, wives, and enslaved people. Rich men were noted for their generosity. They gave lavish parties, called potlatches, which included large gift-giving ceremonies.
Dena'ina religion revolved around shamans, men or women who acted as doctors and priests for the tribe. They were believed to receive their powers—sometimes unwillingly—through dreams and could cast spells, both good and bad. The Dena'ina also believed in spirits and animals with supernatural powers.
Russian fur traders searching for otter first entered Dena'ina territory after 1741, beginning Indigenous American and Russian colonial relations with the Dena'ina. Though they traded with Russian posts, the Dena'ina were very opposed to the establishment of any permanent settlements. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the Dena'ina were struck by a number of epidemics. Smallpox, tuberculosis, and syphilis killed more than four thousand out of a population of about five thousand.
In 1845, Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived and slowly converted the Dena'ina. Fur prices fell at the turn of the century, and salmon canneries prevented the Indigenous Americans from fishing in the most productive streams. Fish and fur-bearing animal populations dwindled. Some Indigenous people found jobs in the canneries, and gradually, Dena'ina people became involved in commercial fishing. Many also found work on the railroads.
In 2007, there were about 1,000 Dena'ina people living in Alaska, of whom fewer than 100 spoke the Dena'ina language. Efforts were made to revitalize the language in the twenty-first century, and in 2014, it was granted official status by the government of Alaska. In 2020, the US Census recorded 2,500 people who reported being of Dena'ina heritage. The Dena'ina people have also worked to raise awareness of their culture and its continued existence. The Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage, which opened in 2008, was named in their honor.
Bibliography
“Alaska Native Language Center - Dena'ina.” University of Alaska Fairbanks, www.uaf.edu/anlc/languages-move/denaina.php. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Dunham, Mike. "First Major Exhibit of Alaska's Dena'ina People Opens at Anchorage Museum." Anchorage Daily News, 28 Sept. 2016, www.adn.com/arts/article/first-major-exhibit-alaskas-denaina-people-opens-anchorage-museum/2013/09/14. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Evanoff, Karen, and Michelle Ravenmoon. "A Dena'ina Perspective: Respecting Ełnena (Land)." National Park Service, 21 Sept. 2017, www.nps.gov/articles/aps-v13-i1-c4.htm. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
Leggett, Aaron. “Dena'inaq' Huch'ulyeshi: The Dena'ina Way of Living.” Anchorage Museum, www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/denainaq-huchulyeshi-the-denaina-way-of-living-2013/being-denaina. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
“Tanaina Tribe.” North American Indians, www.northamericanindians.info/category/alaskan-natives/tanaina-tribe. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.