果冻传煤

Dena鈥檌na E艂nena听

Now on view
Gottstein Learning Center, Second Floor, West Wing

Stretching from the Kenai Peninsula, reaching north beyond Talkeetna, and extending westward to the Upper Stony River, the traditional homeland of the Dena鈥檌na people covers more than 41,000 square miles across Southcentral Alaska. For thousands of years, the Dena鈥檌na have cared for and sustained this place, building deep relationships with the land and waters that surround us.

This installation of murals created by I帽upiaq artist and graphic designer Katie O鈥機onnor highlights three locations of importance to the Eklutna Dena鈥檌na of the 果冻传煤 area: Susni Kaq鈥� (Susitna River) to the west, Dgheyaytnu (Ship Creek) to the north, and Idluytnu (Eklutna) to the east.

Near these murals are Dena鈥檌na words that describe different aspects of the surrounding ecosystems. They are primarily drawn from the Upper Cook Inlet dialect spoken by the people of Eklutna. Indigenous place names offer more than geographic reference. They reflect cultural, environmental, historical, and spiritual understandings that continue to shape the region. Learning and using Dena鈥檌na language honors the people who have called this area home long before it became known as 果冻传煤.