Mentasta Ahtna
Listening Exercises

Web Version June 2018

Featured Speaker
Katie John

Linguistic Transcription
John. T. Ritter

Series Editor
Cynthea L. Ainsworth, Ph. D.

A production of
Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium
Native Language Program

Funded by
Creation and Printing of Series funded by Grant #90NL0299 from the Administration for Native Americans, Grant #S356A030043 from the Alaska Native Education Program of the Department of Education (DOE-ANE). Web conversion funded by Grant #S356A170083 from DOE-ANE.

Mentasta Ahtna Listening Exercises
ISBN 0-9760483-9-6

This title is part of the MSTC Ahtna Language Series
© 2009 Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium. All Rights Reserved

Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium
HC01 Box 357
Gakona, AK 99586
www.mstc.org

This book is based on a design developed by
Yukon Native Language Centre, John T. Ritter, Director 1977-2017
YNLC illustrations and photos used by permission

Cover design and sound by Paula Elmes, ImageCraft Publications & Design

Web design and sound conversion by AE Data, Inc

Sound and web function correction by Frostline Productions, LLC

Continuity from print to web version by Alaska History Projects, LLC

 

Foreword

You are using a web representation of a title in the Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium’s MSTC Ahtna Language Series (2009), which is further discussed in the Introduction. In 2018, the interactive computer CDs that accompanied six in the ten book series were used in conversion to web design. It is hoped that reformatting these important Alaska Native language educational materials will extend the lessons for self-study to learners who make exclusive use of web-access devices other than computers.

 

Preface — Katie John (1915-2013)

The featured speaker of this volume is Elder, Katie John. Katie was the youngest daughter in Chief Sanford Charley’s large family. She grew up in the resource-rich villages of Batzulnetas and Suslota in the Upper Copper River Basin of eastern, south-central Alaska. Raised by parents who remembered the historic Lt. Allen Expedition visit to Batzulnetas in 1885, Katie enjoyed a traditional childhood that included lots of work preparing fish for winter, making birchbark baskets for storage, and traveling to Tanada Lake for fall hunting and winter ice fishing. Katie and her husband, Chief Fred John, continued traditional activities in Mentasta Village, where they raised more than 22 children, eight of whom were adopted. By 2000, Katie had more than 150 descendants. Her concerns for the preservation of her traditional culture included the first effort to present artifacts for public view in Mentasta during the 1970s in an economic development project called the Co-op. In the 1980s, Katie’s ten year legal battle to regain her fishing rights in Batzulnetas changed subsistence law for Alaskan waters. In honor of her concern and activism, Katie’s successful return to Batzulnetas Village in 1995 during the summer salmon run has been marked each year with a Culture Camp that her life long commitment to the preservation of  traditional life.

 

Introduction

Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium’s MSTC Ahtna Language Series is the first new, classroom-based language material published for study of the Ahtna language since 1975. MSTC’s first editions (2000) of the Language Lessons in all five dialects were a milestone in materials development for in-school programs and adult independent study of the Ahtna language. The Series (2009) represents the first linguistically supported effort to establish literacy materials for the entire Ahtna region, stimulating the first practical efforts at standardizing spelling in order to make the leap from linguistic description to local Native literacy in Ahtna. These materials demonstrate MSTC’s continuing commitment to language and culture preservation in strong Native communities.

Teachers or independent learners will notice that the lessons are organized with a list of 6 words or phrases that represent the target sounds for practice and a list of sentences demonstrating the target sounds in more realistic speech. Click on words or sentences to hear the featured speaker offer correct pronunciation.

Mentasta Ahtna Listening Exercises for the Upper Ahtna dialect is a new title in the MSTC Ahtna Language Series. All titles in the Series use James Kari’s dictionaries (1975 and 1990) and the Alaska Native Language Center’s Ahtna writing system. This text featured the collaboration of speaker, Katie John, working with linguist, John Ritter, the founding director of the Yukon Native Language Centre (YNLC). Special thanks are due to linguists, John Ritter, André Bourcier, and Professor Siri Tuttle for their generous advice, as well as YNLC computer specialists, Doug Hunt and Sheila Maisson. Recording and production of the MSTC Ahtna Language Series (2003–09) was partially funded by grants, from the Administration for Native Americans and the Department of Education, and by contributions from MSTC, the editor, the Yukon Native Language Centre, and Paula Elmes, graphic artist with the Alaska Native Knowledge Network, and ImageCraft Publications and Design. The YNLC book design for this text is used by permission, including illustrations by Chris Caldwell, Ted Harrison, Evelyn Kirkaldy, and Susan McCallum.

Cynthea L. Ainsworth, Ph.D.
Editor, MSTC Ahtna Language Series
April 2018

Listening Exercise: [ ł ] and [ l ]

Examples of [ ł ]

salmon	łuk’ae
smoke	łet
dog	łic’ae

Examples of [ l ]

his/her hand	ula’
spruce	ts’ebael
butterfly	lahleli

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ ł ] and [ l ].

The dog is standing.	Łic’ae nadzen.
Give me some tea.	Tsaey sle’ikaas.
Where’s the trap?	‘Aeł nt’ii?
He’s walking on the mountain.	Dzeł k’et natedaas.
Hand me the moccasins.	Kentsiis sle’ilae.
It’s muddy.	Łic’ak kulaen.
It’s still raining.	Dats’ii łcaan.
The butterfly is flying around.	Lahleli natnett’ax.
I am walking around.	Łoghesyaał.
She caught it with a snare.	Ggaał ‘eł yezdluu.

Listening Exercise: [ s ] and [ z ]

Examples of [ s ]

pants	seł
snowshoe	‘aas
grayling	segele

Examples of [ z ]

he/she is sitting	zdaa
he/she wants dry fish	ba’ ‘eynizen
fry bread, bannock	c’aan nanezt’aey

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ s ] and [ z ].

I roasted a goose.	Xax zełaets.
You (folks) go with me.	S’eł ‘uhdeł.
It became winter for us.	Ne’eł xey kuzdlaen.
Let’s boil the grayling.	Segele ts’ulaedze.
Hand me the moccasins.	Kentsiis sle’ilae.
Where do you stay?	Ndaa zidaa?
I’m sleeping.	Zestaen.
It’s not snowing.	K’ali’i łyaaze.
The man is dancing.	Denae c’eldzes.
I’m drinking cold water.	Tuu nezk’adze ‘estenaan.

Listening Exercise: [ x ] and [ gh ]

Examples of [ x ]

goose	xax
sled	xatl
winter	xey

Examples of [ gh ]

he/she walks along	ghayaał
her/his tooth	ughu’
cottonwood	t’eghes

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ x ] and [ gh ].

My younger sister is playing.	Sdaedze’ delghos.
It’s windy outside.	Na’aaxe łts’ii.
My tooth hurts.	Sghu’ nts’aat.
I killed a big goose.	Xax ce’e ziiłghaen.
The little boy is crying.	Ciił ggaay tsagh.
He’s walking in the thorns.	Xos ta natedaas.
My mom is tanning a skin.	Snaan c’ezes zogh.
He’s making a sled (for himself).	Xatl sełtsii.
I see the moon.	Ghaldzaey nghał’aen.
Leaves are growing.	C’et’aan’ neyaex.

Listening Exercise: [ tl ] and [ tl’ ]

Examples of [ tl ]

his or her friend	utlaen
his brother-in-law	utlen
he/she rubbed (oil) on it	yełtlaagh

Examples of [ tl’ ]

rope	tl’uuł
book	denehtl’aa
beads	natl’edze

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ tl ] and [ tl’ ].

I’m thirsty for tea.	Tsaey sdestlaan.
His brother-in-law is chopping wood.	Utlen tsets tsaeł.
There are no low-bush cranberries.	Ntl’et kol.
Where’s the book?	Denehtl’aa nt’ii?
The house caught on fire.	Konax hwditlaa.
He’s sitting on the grass.	Tl’ogh k’ezdaa.
Hand me the rope.	Tl’uuł sle’nilae.
My friend is sitting with me.	Stlaen s’eł zdaa.
We’re weaving a net.	Tehbiił ts’etl’uu.
She set a snare.	Ggaał dattl’u’.

Listening Exercise: [ t ] and [ t’ ]

Examples of [ t ]

rug, mat	taeł
cup	tutiił
water	tuu

Examples of [ t’ ]

charcoal	t’aes
leaves	c’et’aan’
cottonwood	t’eghes

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ t ] and [ t’ ].

How are you?	Nts’e dit’ae?
It’s his uncle (father’s brother).	Utaay sunt’ae.
Our dad is walking around.	Neta’ natedaas.
Where’s my cane?	Nt’ii stedze’?
She is cutting the salmon.	Łuk’ae t’aas.
I want some soup.	Taas ‘eyne’esen.
I am drinking water.	Tuu estnaan.
I roasted some meat.	C’etsen’ zełt’ae.
Leaves are growing.	C’et’aan’ neyaex.
I saw a nest.	C’et’ox nghał’aen’.

Listening Exercise: [ ts ] and [ ts’ ] Set #1

Examples of [ ts ]

beaver	tsa’
fire wood	tsets
ochre, red dye	tsiis

Examples of [ ts’ ]

plate	ts’aac
blanket	ts’ede’
bone	ts’en

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ ts ] and [ ts’ ]. Set #1

The dog is barking.	Łic’ae yetsae.
I bought a blanket.	Ts’ede’ ‘ugheskaet.
The baby is crying.	Sc’enggaay tsagh.
He’s making a big sled.	Xatl ce’e łtsii.
A big spruce is standing.	Ts’ebael ce’e nide’aa.
My head hurts.	Stse’ nts’aat.
I’m listening to you.	Nde’ests’ak.
There’s no sinew.	Ts’aex kol.
He’s walking through wet grass.	Tl’ogh dełtseli ta natedaas.
It’s windy outside.	Na’aaxe łts’ii.

Listening Exercise: [ ts ] and [ ts’ ] Set #2

Examples of [ ts ]

beaver	tsa’
fire wood	tsets
ochre, red dye	tsiis

Examples of [ ts’ ]

plate	ts’aac
blanket	ts’ede’
bone	ts’en

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ ts ] and [ ts’ ]. Set #2.

I’d like some tea.	Tsaey sdestlaan.
He’s walking among the spruce trees.	Ts’ebael ta natedaas.
You folks go for roots (Indian potato).	Tsaas ka ‘ohdeł.
It’s windy outside.	Na’aaxe łts’ii.
You folks cut some wood.	Tsets ‘ohtsaeł.
Are you hungry?	Ditsiin da?
We’re eating meat.	C’etsen’ ts’eyaan.
My grandfather is sitting.	Stsiye zdaa.
Give me the blanket.	Ts’ede’ sle’iłniis.
The lady bought a blanket.	Ts’akae ts’ede’ ‘ughikaet.

Listening Exercise: [ c ] and [ c’ ]

Examples of [ c ]

boy	ciił
morning	secagha
rosehips	ncuus

Examples of [ c’ ]

meat	c’etsen’
creek	c’ena’
dog	łic’ae

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ c ] and [ c’ ].

Your mom is tanning her skin.	Nnaa dec’ezes saex.
We’ll pick some rosehips.	Ncuus ts’unube’.
Hand me a stick.	Nde’, decen.
The man is dancing.	Denae c’eldzes.
Hand me the big axe.	Cen’aay ce’e nde’.
The dog is sitting.	Łic’ae zdaa.
Big leaves are growing.	C’et’aan’ ce’e nezyaan.
The boy is walking.	Ciił ghayaał.
My younger brother is standing outside.	Scele na’aaxe nadzen.
This is a plate.	Gaann du’ ts’aac.

Listening Exercise: [ k ] and [ k’ ]

Examples of [ k ]

salmonberry	nkaał
fire, matches	kon’
fog	‘aak

Examples of [ k’ ]

willows	k’ey’
clouds	k’os
gun	k’a’

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ k ] and [ k’ ].

There are no wolves.	Tikaann kol.
Hand me the rifle.	K’a’ sle’itiis.
It’s cold outside.	Na’aaxe nezk’ats’.
The lady is picking berries.	Ts’akae gigi ‘unebe’.
My auntie is eating salmonberries.	Sak’eye nkaał neldaeł.
I want some salmon.	Łuk’ae ‘eyne’esen.
I have moccasins.	Kentsiis zełaa.
I’m tired.	Taghastnak.
I saw moose tracks.	Deniigi k’eh nghał’aen’.
Make a fire!	Nakon’ diłk’aas!

Listening Exercise: [ c ] and [ k ]

Examples of [ c ]

boy	ciił
rosehips	ncuus
his or her ribs	ucaagge’

Examples of [ k ]

salmonberry	nkaał
fog	‘aak
he or she is coughing	delkos

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ c ] and [ k ].

My younger brother is coughing.	Scele delkos.
Hand me the axe.	Cen’aay nde’.
It’s foggy.	‘Aak kulaen.
It’s still raining.	Dats’ii łcaan.
The big boy is standing.	Ciił ce’e nadzen.
It’s sunny.	Kesaadi’aan.
I see a bull moose.	Nicuunn nghał’aen.
I’m going to buy a big plate.	Ts’aac ce’e ‘udaskaet.
My younger brother is walking to the creek.	Scele c’ena’ ts’e’ ghayaał.
The boys are playing.	Ciłkaey ‘en delghos.

Listening Exercise: [ g ] and [ gg ]

Examples of [ g ]

this one	gaann du’
pike fish	c’ulgaadzi
grayling	segele

Examples of [ gg ]

her/his arm	uggaann’
a snare	ggaał
worms, bugs	gguux

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ g ] and [ gg ].

The mosquito stung me.	Kuggaedi sezggot.
This is her/his arm.	Gaann du’ uggaann’.
The lady picks berries.	Ts’akae gigi ‘unebe’.
The baby rabbit is sleeping.	Ggax ggaay ztaen.
The wild celery is growing.	Gguus neyaex.
My mom is sitting right here.	Snaan gaa zdaa.
Scale the fish.	Tsabaey ‘iłgguus.
The fox tail is long.	Naggedze uce’ diłnaes.
My knee is sore.	Sggot nts’aat.
The little bird is singing.	Ts’eggaagga ggaay c’ededlii.

Listening Exercise: [ c’ ] and [ k’ ]

Examples of [ c’ ]

meat	c’etsen’
creek	c’ena’
dog	łic’ae

Examples of [ k’ ]

willows	k’ey’
gun, rifle	k’a’
(right) now	k’adii de’

Listen to each sentence for the target Upper Ahtna sounds [ c’ ] and [ k’ ].

The child is playing outside.	Sc’aen na’aaxe delghos.
I saw my auntie yesterday.	K’adan’a sak’aye nghał’aen’.
The dog is sitting in the willows.	Łic’ae k’ey’ tazdaa.
The lady is tanning a hide.	Ts’akae c’ezes zogh.
The child is playing in mud.	Sc’aen łic’ak ta delghos.
The man has no gun.	Denae uk’aa’ kol.
Where’s the porcupine quill?	Nuuni c’oxe’ nt’ii?
Are there any caribou tracks?	Udzih k’eh kulaen?
My younger brother is walking to the creek.	Scele c’ena’ ts’e’ ghayaał.
She sings nicely.	Ugheli ts’e’ c’ededlii.

 

Noun Index

Mt. Sanford Tribal Consortium’s MSTC Ahtna Language Series is the first published attempt to standardize spelling in Ahtna words to assist students in recognizing vocabulary. In 1975 the Alaska Native Language Center (ANLC) published the Ahtna Noun Dictionary by James Kari and Millie Buck. It offers the best documentation of different dialectal forms and organizes words by categories, like animals, seasons, and household objects, which makes it a very good tool for beginners. Kari’s Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary was published by ANLC in 1990. Its index may offer different words or spellings for nouns in this book. If the forms in both texts are similar, both references are included below.

This Noun Index is an English-initial, alphabetized list to familiar nouns. The numbers in the fourth column indicate pages where the nouns can be found in this book. References for the nouns in both of Kari’s dictionaries are listed with dialectal information when it is available. “M” or “U” refer to Mentasta or Upper Ahtna dialectal forms. “C” or “L” refer to Central or Lower Ahtna dialectal forms. If only one dictionary is referenced, the Upper Ahtna form was not available in the 1990 English-Ahtna index.

axe	cen’aay	(M)75:123	p. 23, 29
baby	sc’enggaay	75:55/75:74/90:481	p. 17
beads	natl’edze	(M)75:114	p. 10
beaver	tsa’	75:2/90:484	p. 16, 19
berries (blueberry)	gigi	75:39/(M)75:40/90:485	p. 26, 32
bird	ts’eggaagga	(M)75:15	p. 32
blanket	ts’ede’	(C, U)75:106/90:486	p. 16, 17, 19, 20
bone	ts’en	75:60/90:488	p. 16, 19
book	denehtl’aa	(M)75:138/90:488	p. 10, 11
boy	ciił	75:54/90:488	p. 8, 22, 23, 28, 29
boys	ciłkaey	75:54	p. 29
bread (fry)	c’aan	75:146/90:489	p. 4
butterfly	lahleli	(M)75:27/90:492	p. 1, 2
caribou	udzih	(C, M)75:2/90:493	p. 35
charcoal	t’aes	75:97/90:495	p. 13
child	sc’aen	75:55/90:496	p. 35
clouds (cloudy)	k’os	(C, U)75:89/90:498	p. 25
cottonwood	t’eghes	(M)75:34/90:502	p. 7, 13
cranberry (low-bush )	ntl’et	(M)75:40/90:485	p. 11
creek	c’ena’	75:77	p. 22, 29, 34, 35
cup	tutiił	75:150/90:504	p. 13
dog	łic’ae	75:8/90:510	p. 1, 2, 17, 22, 23, 34, 35
dry fish	ba’	75:144/90:512	p. 4
fire (matches)	kon’	75:97/90:520/90:551	p. 25
fire wood (wood)	tsets	75:32/90:623	p. 11, 16, 19, 20
fish	tsabaey	75:10/90:520	p. 32
fog	‘aak	(U)75:89/90:523	p. 25, 28, 29
goose	xax	75:15/90:528	p. 5, 7, 8
grass	tl’ogh	75:37/90:529	p. 11, 17
Noun Index
grayling	segele	(M)75:10/90:529	p. 4, 5, 31
gun (rifle)	k’a’	75:116/90:531	p. 25, 26, 34
Indian potatoes	tsaas	75:146/90:539	p. 20
leaves (plant)	c’et’aan’	(M)75:30/90:545	p. 8, 13, 14, 23
man	denae	75:55/90:550	p. 5, 23, 35
meat	c’etsen’	75:141/90:551	p. 14, 20, 22, 34
moccasin	kentsiis	75:107/90:553	p. 2, 5, 26
moon	ghaldzaey	75:87/90:554	p. 8
moose	deniigi	75:4/90:554	p. 26
moose (bull)	nicuunn	(M)75:4/90:554	p. 29
mosquito	kuggaedi	75:29/90:554	p. 32
mountain	dzeł	(M)75:81/90:555	p. 2
nest	c’et’ox	75:25/90:558	p. 14
net	tehbiił	75:120/90:558	p. 11
ochre (red dye)	tsiis	75:83/75:110/90:561	p. 16, 19
pants	seł	(C, L, M)75:107/90:564	p. 4
pike fish	c’ulgaadzi	(U)75:10/90:567	p. 31
plate (dish)	ts’aac	(M)75:150/90:568	p. 16, 19, 23, 29
porcupine	nuuni	75:6/90:570	p. 35
rabbit	ggax	75:6/90:574	p. 32
rope	tl’uuł	75:126/90:580	p. 10, 11
rosehips	ncuus	(U)75:42/90:580	p. 22, 23, 28
rug (mat, bedroll)	taeł	75:134/90:551	p. 13
salmon	łuk’ae	75:11/90:581	p. 1, 14, 26
salmonberry (cloudberry)	nkaał	75:40/90:485	p. 25, 26, 28
skin (hide)	c’ezes	75:111/90:589	p. 8, 35
sled	xatl	(M)75:156/90:590	p. 7, 8, 17
smoke	łet	75:98/90:591	p. 1
snare	ggaał	75:117/90:592	p. 2, 11, 31
snowshoe	‘aas	75:155/90:592	p. 4
soup	taas	75:145/90:594	p. 14
spruce	ts’ebael	(M)75:34/90:597	p. 1, 17, 20
stick	decen	(M)75:32/90:599	p. 23
tea	tsaey	75:148/90:606	p. 2, 11, 20
thorns	xos	75:32/90:608	p. 8
thread (sinew)	ts’aex	75:114/90:588	p. 17
trap	‘aeł	75:117/90:612	p. 2
water	tuu	75:77/90:619	p. 5, 13, 14
wild celery	gguus	(C, L)75:36/90:495	p. 32
willows	k’ey’	(M)75:35/90:622	p. 25, 34, 35
winter	xey	(M)75:92/90:623	p. 5, 7
wolves	tikaann	75:7/90:623	p. 26
woman (lady)	ts’akae	75:54/90:623	p. 20, 26, 32, 35
worm, bug	gguux	75:27/90:624	p. 31