Page 60 - Richardson And Glenn Highways (East Alaska)

COPPER CENTER
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come back new- COPPER RIVER · DENALI · FAIRBANKS · KENAI · MT. MCKINLEY
AHTNA NATIVE
VILLAGE NAMES
Traditional Name: Yidateni Na Modern Name: Cantwell
Traditional Name: Cheesh'na Modern Name: Chistochina
Traditional Name: Mendaesde Modern Name: Mentasta
Traditional Name: Ggax Kuna' Modern Name: Gakona
Traditional Name: C'ulc'e Na' Modern Name: Gulkana
Traditional Name: Kluti-Kaah Modern Name: Copper Center
Traditional Name: Tezdien Na Modern Name: Tazlina
Traditional Name: Tsedi Na Modern Name: Chitina
HISTORIC ATHABASCAN NAMES ON THE COMEBACK
Every place has an original name that locals are bringing back into use.
Before Russian and American military explorers came to Alaska and began renaming everything, the people of this region had their own names for different places. Above is a look at some of the names of longtime Ahtna Native villages, and what they mean in English. Almost all Ahtna names de- fined a location. Instead of naming locations after famous people (like "McKinley" or "Glennallen") the original Ahtna place names were descriptive.
Ahtna place names described the place and what was important about it. In recent years there's been a return to traditional naming in Alaska: The naming of the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage, and recently the name change of Mount McKinley back to Denali. In future years, expect naming trends to continue. Many locals for instance, refer to Copper Center as "Kluti-Kaah." The village of Chistochina recently also reverted to its original name, which is pronounced "Cheesh'na."
AHTNA NATIVE
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