Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina
Tribal narratives and Kenaitze news
Under ever changing weather on the Cook Inlet beach, members of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe and invited guests from other tribes in the region came together for the First Fish Potlatch during the first weekend in May.
“Today we celebrate our first fish, as we have been doing for thousands of years,” Liisia Blizzard, Tribal Council Secretary, said in her opening prayer.
Tribal Council Chairperson Wayne Wilson Jr. Read More
Barehanded, breath visible, Eunice Ruhl knelt down, brushed snow off the log and propped it upright. With a grunt, she slung an ax over her shoulder and thrust it toward the ground. Read More
Blood was seeping into the man’s brain and he was high on cocaine.
The white powder, which he had snorted, was deep in his system when the aneurysm ruptured.
He heard the pop, felt the pop, an excruciating pain.
But he could not go to the doctor. Not with drugs in his system. Not if it meant jail time. Read More
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe has signed an agreement with the State of Alaska that establishes a framework for the tribe to provide additional child welfare programs across its service area on behalf of the Alaska Office of Children’s Services.
Kenaitze was among 18 Alaska tribes and tribal organizations that signed the agreement during the 2017 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage, the largest annual gathering of Native peoples in the United States. Read More
With an ulu in her right hand and a salmon filet under her left, Mary Lou Bottorff leaned forward and slid the blade toward the fish’s tail. A thin strip of meat, the length of a ruler, peeled away from the slab.
“You get better leverage with an ulu than a long knife,” Bottorff said. “Always cut from the head end of the fish toward the tail.”
About 15 people huddled around the wooden table, Read More
After years of planning, the tribe has officially opened an optometry program at the Dena’ina Wellness Center.
The program, managed by Dr. Will Phillips, began serving un’ina earlier this year.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to start a new program and help provide a much needed service,” Phillips said. “It’s good to be able to provide the service, and there’s definitely a need for it.”
The program offers examinations, contact lens fitting, Read More
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe officially opened the 2017 Educational Fishery on May 1, welcoming scores of tribal members to the fishery site in Kenai for a day-long celebration that included food, music, dancing and time around the fire.
It’s the 28th year the tribe has operated the fishery along the shores of Cook Inlet, Tikahtnu, near the mouth of the Kenai River. No salmon came to the net, but that didn’t dampen the mood on season’s opening day. Read More
In this video, Mary Lou Bottorff, an Elder with the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, talks about how gathering, preparing and sharing traditional Alaska Native food helps promote health and wellness. She volunteers her time to the tribe’s youth, elders and wellness programs and helps organize a monthly traditional foods potluck.
Tribal Elder Alexandra “Sasha” Lindgren explains how the tribe is working with researchers to better understand how the tribe’s traditional diet of salmon helps to connect Dena’ina people from the past, Read More
When he was called to the stage during an awards ceremony at the 2017 Native Youth Olympics Invitational, Joseph Whittom didn’t believe his ears.
“When they called my name, I was super surprised. I was like, wait, did they say that right? I was amazed,” Whittom recalled. “When I went up there, I wasn’t smiling at first and my mom looked at me and was like, Read More
The 2017 Native Youth Olympics Invitational is scheduled for Jan. 20 to 22 at Mountain View Elementary School in Kenai. The tribe’s Yaghanen Youth Program will host the event as part of the annual Peninsula Winter Games.
The NYO competition features traditional events such as the seal hop, kneel jump and one-foot high kick, among others. Sportsmanship is valued over results as teams from across Alaska compete in junior and senior divisions. Read More
