Connections between Ahtna and Dena'ina Languages
According to Kari (1990), bilingualism was prevalent among Athabaskan speakers in the past. My grandfather's generation, for instance, was commonly able to speak Ahtna, Dena'ina, and English fluently, which proved to be essential for him in his travels throughout the Western, Central Ahtna, and Upper Dena'ina regions for hunting and guiding. Kari (1987) further notes that some Ahtna speakers could speak Dena'ina, due to their marriage and travels through both regions.
Prior to the present, the Ahtna and Dena'ina communities were not separated by borders. In the contemporary era, however, bordered regions have become commonplace. Despite this, the languages utilized by these communities are facilitating the reunification of families. Although the Ahtna and Dena'ina languages share a similar grammar structure, there exist slight differences in their respective postpositions and inter-subject pronouns. Nevertheless, both communities have extended support to one another through various avenues, such as songs, dances, language gatherings, and institutes, as well as with the participation of Master Elders Language Speakers. These speakers visit in their Native languages, where they understand each other and share ideas and laughter. During these visits, the languages are not combined; instead, the support is offered through knowledge contributions to language learners, and mutual support in teaching.
The reasons for my decision to learn both Ahtna and Dena'ina languages stemmed from my discovery that my grandfather, stsiiye, possessed the ability to speak both dialects. He had acquired this skill through his extensive travels, hunting excursions, and visits to both regions, as documented in the book "Shem Pete's Alaska" and by Dr. James Kari's recordings. This was a frequent practice in his generation. Our family had to traverse long distances by foot, dog sled, or boat to visit other families. In my grandparents' era, individuals would converse in Dena'ina, Ahtna, Russian, or English. They were not restricted to a single language, as we are today. Unfortunately, our languages and regions were separated by land claims, which resulted in the establishment of corporations, genocidal education, and the spread of tuberculosis and influenza, all within a single generation.
Prior to the present, the Ahtna and Dena'ina communities were not separated by borders. In the contemporary era, however, bordered regions have become commonplace. Despite this, the languages utilized by these communities are facilitating the reunification of families. Although the Ahtna and Dena'ina languages share a similar grammar structure, there exist slight differences in their respective postpositions and inter-subject pronouns. Nevertheless, both communities have extended support to one another through various avenues, such as songs, dances, language gatherings, and institutes, as well as with the participation of Master Elders Language Speakers. These speakers visit in their Native languages, where they understand each other and share ideas and laughter. During these visits, the languages are not combined; instead, the support is offered through knowledge contributions to language learners, and mutual support in teaching.
The reasons for my decision to learn both Ahtna and Dena'ina languages stemmed from my discovery that my grandfather, stsiiye, possessed the ability to speak both dialects. He had acquired this skill through his extensive travels, hunting excursions, and visits to both regions, as documented in the book "Shem Pete's Alaska" and by Dr. James Kari's recordings. This was a frequent practice in his generation. Our family had to traverse long distances by foot, dog sled, or boat to visit other families. In my grandparents' era, individuals would converse in Dena'ina, Ahtna, Russian, or English. They were not restricted to a single language, as we are today. Unfortunately, our languages and regions were separated by land claims, which resulted in the establishment of corporations, genocidal education, and the spread of tuberculosis and influenza, all within a single generation.
To the left, here is a picture of stsiiye (my grandfather), Johnny Shaginoff with sta’ (my father) James Shaginoff snełyaanen (respectfully raised me), and to the right, stsiiye carrying a dall sheep. There are stories of him carrying meat from the Talkeetna Mountains to Eklutna Village to Gulkana Village by walking and dog sled. Nowadays it is unheard of, with the highway system.
Ahtna and Dena'ina Sound Systems
Figure 1 demonstrates the different areas of the mouth where sounds are produced, starting from the front of the mouth and moving towards the back of the throat. Figure 2 illustrates the specific locations within the mouth where vowel sounds are formed. Dr. Siri Tuttle provided the illustrations for both these figures.
As you can see from both pictures of the figures and the chart below that the sounds of the letters are made from by the lips to the throat and you can see what sounds are vibrating (glottalized) or when there are there stops of aspirations, a pop of air in the sound.
It has been observed that many sounds used in Western Ahtna language are similar to those used by the Upper Dena'ina people, who reside southeast of the Western Ahtna villages. Although there are some differences in the placement of a few letters, both the charts demonstrate the similarities in the sounds. However, Table 1 highlights that Dena'ina Upper Inlet variety has sounds that are similar to Ahtna, such as dz vs. j, ch vs. ts, ch'v, ts', s vs. sh. According to Kari (2003), "Dena'ina Upper Inlet speakers tend to prefer the palatal (ch, j) pronunciation."
