Participants in the Ahtna Elders Conference held August 18 & 19 at the C'ek'aedi Hwnax (Legacy House, Ahtna Cultural Center) in Copper Center. The conference was funded through a grant from the US Department of Education and it was a great success! Photo credit: George Sikat III.

Student Banquet, Monday, May 14th, in Tazlina

AHF Student Incentive Program, click here for details

Click here for Ahtna Heritage Dancers videos

On this site you will learn more about the Ahtna Athabascan people, our history in the Copper River basin and Cantwell area, and activities we are currently undertaking to support our traditional practices and culture. The Ahtna people follow a matrilineal clan system which is described as follows:

Saghani utsuuye
member of the raven moiety

Naltsiine - Sky Clan
Taltsiine - Water Clan
Dits’i’ltsiine - Canyon Clan
‘Alts’e’tnaey - One Way or
Single Minded Clan
Dik’aagiyu - Fireweed Clan

Nalbaey utsuuye
member of the gull moiety

Tsisyu -  Paint Clan
Nitsyu - Second Paint Clan
Udzisyu - Caribou Clan
Cela’yu - Fish Tail Clan

Relatives of the same or closely affiliated clan are called. yudelkanen
People of the opposite moiety or clans are called c’aats’ne
Father’s clansmen are called ta’beldaan’ne
Mother’s clansmen are called eldaan’ne
Clans people are called galtsiilne

Traditional hunting, gathering and fishing activities are the backbone of our Ahtna culture. In fact, when Ahtna elders made land selections during the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), much of the land selected was chosen based on our traditional hunting, gathering and fishing usage.

This site will change as additional information becomes available. Thank you for visiting