History

Dena’ina Placenames

The history of Dena’ina territory and geography is embodied in the Native names for places. All of the important places–rivers, lakes, mountains, lookouts, campsites, small creeks and ponds–have Dena’ina names that were learned by actual experience and memorization. These names represent an ancient and enduring oral tradition.

In the Dene languages, we find that the places are almost never “honorific,” named for people. Instead, Dene placenames embody local ecological knowledge of geography and environment. A glimpse into this knowledge can be found in the literal English translations, given in parentheses below. More than two thousand Dena’ina placenames have been documented; a few important names are listed here.

Maps and place names information for the Outer Inlet (Kenai) dialect are available on Dena’ina Territory and Place Names of the Kahtnuht’ana Qenaga site.

Inland Dialect Names

K'qizaghetnu Hdakaq'
Stony River village
(distant river mouth)

Htsit
Tishimna Lake site
(lowland place)

Hek'dichen Hdakaq'
Lime Village, mouth of Hungry Creek
(abundance mouth)

Qeghnilen
Canyon site
(current flows through)

Speaker: Pete Bobby

Dilah Vena
Telaquana Lake village
((fish) swim in-lake)

Vałts'anaq'
Mulchatna villages
(? stream)

Qizhjeh
Kijik Village
(place people gathered on the run)

Nuvendaltun, Nundaltin
Nondalton, Sixmile Lake
(lake extends across)

Łiq'a Qilanhtnu
Tlikakila River
(stream where salmon are)

Iliamna Dialect Names

Nughiltnu
Newhalen River
(flows-down river)

Nughilen
Newhalen
(flows-down river)

Chix Kaq'
Chekok
(ochre mouth)

Speaker: Nick Kolyaha

Pedro Bay village

Nilavena
Iliamna Lake
(islands lake)

Speaker: Walter Johnson

Tus Nuch'k'elyasht
Iliamna Portage to Cook Inlet
(pass where we carry things back)

Vighutiztin Hkayitaghi'u
Lonesome Bay village
(trail along it bay)

Tsayehtnu Hdakaq'
Pile Bay village
(cave river mouth)

Nuch'ak'dalitnu
Old Iliamna
(things come out again river)

Outer Inlet Dialect Names

Tikahtnu
Cook Inlet
(big water river)

Yaghenen
Peninsula
(good land)

Kahtnu Betnu
Kenai
(river-mouth stream its stream)

Speaker: Peter Kalifornsky

Shlakaq'
mouth of Slikok Creek (near Kenai Peninsula College)
(little mouth)

Chunuk'tnu
Russian River
(beaver ? river)

Tl'ubugh
Seward, Ressurection Bay area
(back shore)

Tałin Ch'iłtant
Polly Creek
(where we found a whale)

Qezdeghnen
Kustatan sites
(point land)

Ts'eslahtnu
Old Seldovia
('rock fish run-stream)

Angidahtnu
Seldovia
(? stream)

Tsayehq'at
China Poot Bay village
(place below rock)

Ts'enghutnu ?
Soonroodna
(bone fur stream' ?)

K'kaq'
Anchor Point site
(river mouth)

Nihnalchint
Ninilchik
(lodge is built place)

K'echan Dałkizt
Humpy Point village
(grass is laying place)

Ggasilat
Kasilof site

Unhghenesditnu
Kalifornsky
(farthest creek over)

Q'es Dudilent
Stepankas
(current flows into outlet)

Sqilant
Kenai Lake site
(ridge is there)

Speaker: Peter Kalifornsky

Ch'anilnat
Chinila site
(one moves out place)

Shk'ituk't
Old Kenai site
(where we slide down)

Speaker: Fedosia Sacaloff

Kahtnu
Kenai village
(river mouth river)

Ken Dech'etl't
Salamatov
(scrub timber flat place)

Tuqyankdat
Nikiski No. 1
(no good clearing)

Dghezha Leht
Nikiski No. 3
(where needlefish run)

Tiduqilts'ett
Titukilsk site
(bad event place)

Quqegh Nik'eteleht
Libby Creek site (Seven Egg Creek)
(fish run up through place)

Upper Inlet Dialect Names

Ch'elehtnu
Roberts Creek site
(fish run-stream)

Tubughnen
Old Tyonek sites
(beach land)

Tank'itnu
Second Tyonek
(fish dock stream)

Qaggeyshlat
New Tyonek
(little place between toes)

Ch'u'itnu Hdakaq'
Chuitt River site
(? river mouth)

Tuqen Kaq'
Alexander Creek
(clear water mouth)

Tsat'ukeghet
Susitna Station
(beneath big rock place)

Speaker: Shem Pete

Tanłtunt
Redshirt Lake site
(enclosed object in water place)

Tsuk Qayeh
Lower Yentna River site
(old village)

Bentalit
Fish Lake sites
(lake current place)

Speaker: Shem Pete

Tiq'atl'ena
Hewitt Lake site
(timbered area notch)

Keshch'a Bena
Donkey Creek Lake
(down feathers lake)

Dashq'e
Kroto Creek village
(on the shoal)

Speaker: Shem Pete

Qiduk'ggat
Montana Creek
(overflows and freezes)

Tsuk Qayeh
site opposite Sunshine Ck mouth
(old village)

K'dalkitnu
Talkeetna
(food is stored river)

Ch'aniltnu Hdakaq'
Chunilna Creek village
(mouth of current flows out stream)

Tatik'niłtun Bena
Stephan Lake village
(mouth of current flows out stream)

Tudli Bena
Nancy Lake village
(cold water lake)

K'enakatnu
Fish Creek village
(? stream)

Nughay Bena
(New) Knik
(frog lake)

Łajat
Cottonwood Creek site
(silt place)

Benteh
Wasilla Lake sites
(among the lakes)

Nik'udatl'ech'a
Dinkle Lake site
(dark color extends out)

Tuhnaghiłkits
Bradley-Kepler Lakes site
(extends in water fabric-like)

Niteh
Old Knik, Matanuska
(among the islands)

Chidaq'atnu
Moose Creek
(old lady's hole stream)

Nuk'din'itnu
Chickaloon
(bridge goes across-stream)

Hutnaynut'i
Bodenberg Butte site
(one that is shining)

Skintuk'ełaha
Swan Lake village
(fish run through brush)

Eydlughet
Eklutna
(by the plural objects)

Tak'at
Cairn Point site
(dipnet platform)

Dgheyey Kaq'
Anchorage
(mouth of needle fish)

Nuch'ishtunt
Point Woronzoff site
(wind protected)

Ch'aghałnikt
Point Possession village
(where fabric extends out)

Idlu Bena
Eklutna Lake
(Plural Objects Lake)

Dgheyaytnu
Ship Creek, original Anchorage townsite
(Stickleback Creek' )

Niłkidal'iy
Lake Spenard and Lake Hood
(The Ones (Lakes) That Are Joined Together)

Nutuł'iy
Fire Island
(Object That Stands in the Water)

Qin Cheghitnu
Campbell Creek
(Crying Ridge Creek)

Ch'atanhtnu
Matanuska River
(River from Which Trail Comes Out)

K'enaka Bena
Big Lake
( -?- Lake)

K'idazq'eni
Mount Spurr
(That Which Is Burning Inside)

Suyitnu
Susitna River
(Sand River)

Speaker: Shem Pete

K'dalkitnu
Talkeetna River, Talkeetna townsite
(Food Is Stored River)

Source: Dena’ina Topical Dictionary by James Kari, and Dena’ina Placenames list, compiled by James Kari (1994).