ATHAPASKANS

by Liana Obeidi

ATHAPASKANS BELONG TO ONE OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD INDIAN LANGUAGE GROUPS IN NORTH AMERICA. THIS BRANCH OF THE ATHAPASKAN FAMILY LIVES IN THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA AND NORTHWESTERN CANADA. VARIOUS GROUPS OF ATHAPASKAN SPEAKERS LIVE ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST OF WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND CALIFORNIA. THEY ARE CALLED PACIFIC ATHAPASKANS.

ANOTHER GROUP LIVES IN THE SOUTHWEST. THESE ATHAPASKANS ARE CALLED APACHEAN. THEY INCLUDE APACHE AND NAVAJO INDIANS. THE WORD "ATHAPASKANS" DID NOT COME FROM THE ATHAPASKANS THEMSELVES. THE CREE INDIANS OF CANADA ACTUALLY NAMED THE ATHAPASKANS. THE ATHAPASKAN WORD MEANS "GROUPS HERE AND THERE." IT WAS A CREE NAME FOR A LARGE LAKE IN CANADA. THE ATHAPASKANS REFER TO THEMSELVES AS "DENA" WHICH MEANS "THE PEOPLE."

NA-DENE IS A STILL A LARGER ATHAPASKAN GROUP. EZAK IS ALMOST AN EXTINCT LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY THE NA-DENE. THE TLINGIT AND HAIDA ALSO MAY SPEAK IT.



Three Athapaskans in full decorative clothing
(Scanned Photo from the Anchorage Museum of
History and Art, B81.19.58)

HUNTING AND FISHING IS VERY COMMON TO THE ATHAPASKANS. THEY HUNT: FISH, MOOSE, AND CARIBOU. IT IS POSSIBLE TO HUNT WITH SNOWSHOES IN DEEP SNOW. FISHING IS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER. BEYOND THE RIVER AND BEYOND THE NEIGHBORING VILLAGES ARE PEOPLE WITH WHOM A PERSON FEELS LESS COMMONALITY.

THERE ARE SOME ATHAPASKANS WHO SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE, AND THERE ARE SOME THAT SPEAK DIFFERENTLY. THEN THERE ARE NATIVES WHO AREN'T EVEN ATHAPASKANS. BUT OCCASIONALLY EVEN DISTANT PEOPLE ARE LINKED BY BONDS OF FRIENDLINESS AND COMMON INTERESTS. ATHAPASKAN WOMEN HAVE TRADITIONALLY USED THE SKINS OF THE SNOWSHOE HARE BY CUTTING AND WEAVING STRIPS INTO BLANKETS, ROBES, AND UNDERSHIRTS. THE ATHAPASKANS USE THE WHITE SPRUCE TREE TO HEAL ANYTHING FROM HEART PROBLEMS TO RELIGIOUS RITUALS. THE ATHAPASKANS USE A LOT OF BIRCH BARK, MOOSEHIDE, AND BEADS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS SUCH AS CLOTHING, SHELTER, AND FOOD.

CHEIF THOMAS, MARTHA AND DANIEL THOMAS (WOOD RIVER -NENANA) POSE IN THEIR CEREMONIAL DRESS, CA.1930. DENTALIA SHELLS WERE PRIZED FOR CLOTHING DECORATIONS WHICH WERE OBTAINED IN TRADE FROM THE TLINGITS.

CHILDREN WERE GREATLY DESIRED AMONG ALL THE ATHAPASKAN GROUPS. AMONG THE BEAR LAKE INDIANS, IF THERE WAS A LACK OF FOOD THEY WOULD KILL THE FEMALE BABIES. ALSO MOTHERS WOULD BE KILLED IF SHE HAD TOO MANY CHILDREN. ACCORDING TO BEAR LAKE INDIANS, BOYS WERE VALUED MORE HIGHLY. BUT THE TANAINA ATHAPASKANS PREFERRED GIRLS BECAUSE THEY WERE LESS TROUBLE. IN THE ATHAPASKAN CULTURE IT WAS NORMAL TO SPLIT THE BOYS AND THE GIRLS. THEY DID THIS SO THE GIRLS WOULD BE CLOSER TO THEIR MOTHERS AND ALSO SO THEY COULD LEARN TO COOK, CLEAN, AND CARE FOR SIBLINGS. THEY SPLIT THE BOYS SO THE BOYS COULD LEARN BETTER HUNTING AND FISHING SKILLS.

AFTER A GIRL'S FIRST MENSTRATION SHE WOULD BE PRONOUNCED READY FOR MARRIAGE. THE MOTHER AND OTHER FEMALE RELATIVES WOULD USUALLY HELP THE GIRL PICK A MAN, AND THEN THEY WOULD GO TO THE FATHER. THE MOTHER, USUALLY, WILL PICK AN OLDER AND MORE WEALTHY MAN.

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