Nay'dini'aa Na'

Nay'dini'aa Na'. "May Creator Guide Your Footsteps". , The people of Nay'dini'aa Na' (Chickaloon) are part of an ancient culture that has met challenges and persevered., Dene' , The Ahtna and Dena'ina Athabascans, or Dene' (People), have occupied this area for thousands of years with an understanding that Nakeltani (Creator) put them here to steward and live in harmony with the land, water, animals, and each other. Before the 1900s, the Dene' were nomadic and traveled extensively within the Copper River and Cook Inlet areas, following seasonal food sources and trading resources along the established trail systems., Rising to the Challenge , Colonization and forced assimilation in the 1900s changed the lives of the Dene' and jeopardized their ancient culture. Gold and coal mines in the early 1900s resulted in a military presence, railroad development, and environmental destruction. Later, the Glenn Highway was constructed and homesteaders staked claims, privatizing much of the traditional Dene' territory. The introduction of alcohol and diseases resulted in widespread illness and death, and boarding schools led to generations estranged from their clan structures, language, culture, and traditional lifeways., Living Culture , The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was passed in 1971 and Tribal Elders formally established the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council to reassert the Tribe's identity and unify its citizens. It became a federally recognized Tribal government in 1982, and today it provides services to the entire community. Chickaloon Native Village continues to be a vibrant, innovative, and rich community connected to an ancient past and living their culture in the present., [Photo captions, top to bottom, read] , . Mary Nickoli Goodlataw and Paul Goodlataw with a bull moose, . Chickaloon Village Traditional Council member Albert Harrison served his country in the Navy and continues to serve his community honoring his ancestors., . [Bottom background photo has no caption]