Interactive digital presentation and native audio guide for the Dena'ina Cultural Components of Lesson Plans curriculum. Features 14 authentic audio recordings, vocabulary guides, slow-motion pronunciation, and comprehension challenges.
Science in Tyonek is inseparable from ancestral heritage. Developed in collaboration with Tebughna elders, cultural teachers, and conservation scientists, this interactive platform transforms the master teacher slide deck (Denaina-Components-of-Lesson-Plans.pptx) into an accessible, audio-rich digital curriculum.
“What is soil?”
YAH-dah dee HLAHCH’
In Dena’ina worldviews, soil (łach’) is the living foundation that nurtures willow, medicinal herbs, and root vegetables. It is viewed not as inanimate dirt, but as the skin of the earth.
“Sand, silt, and clay (soil texture components)”
SOOY | HLEE YOO-yah | BASH-tleh-ch’ah
Dena’ina traditional artisans and builders distinguished between gritty river sand (suy), fine glacial silt (łi yuya) carried by Cook Inlet tides, and sticky clay (bashtl’ech’a) used in cooking pits and waterproofing.
“Things with breath (living beings)”
beh-YEECH’ kee-LAH-nee
Dena’ina elders recognize that living creatures—from subterranean earthworms to bears—share the sacred breath of life (yich’). This phrase honors living organisms decomposing matter in forest humus.
“Snow (falling / suspended snow)”
CHEE-tl’ (with glottalized lateral)
Dena’ina vocabulary possesses nuanced terms for snow depending on condition: falling snow (chitl’), deep powder, crusted snow, and wet spring melt that feeds salmon streams.
“Seeds (things that grow again)”
kee-noo-nel-YAH-hee
Literally translates to "that which grows repeatedly." Signifies the cyclical renewal of plants each spring after surviving deep sub-arctic winter dormancy.
“We are growing things”
ch’en-HLAHY-hee
Reflects the proactive care and stewardship of plant life, applied today in the Tyonek high tunnels and community school hydroponics systems that cultivate greens in water.
“I have moose (moose are abundant for me)”
d’NEE-gee sheh k’ee-LAHN
Moose (dnigi) are central to Tebughna winter subsistence. Having moose signifies prosperity, health, and a successful harvest to share with elders and family.
“I see a beluga”
koo-YEH-shee neh-TLAH-n
Cook Inlet belugas (quyeshi) are deeply revered in Tebughna coastal traditions. Elders historically watched for white whales surfacing off the Tyonek bluffs following king salmon runs.
“Food of the lands”
el-NEN kah-DAH
Refers to wild traditional foods provided directly by the land (ełnen): moose, waterfowl, wild berries, spruce tips, and mushrooms that nourish community sovereignty.
“Our community’s food”
nah-KAH-yeh kah-DAH
Emphasizes communal food sharing networks in Tyonek village (naqayeh), where hunters and fishers distribute subsistence harvest to all households and elders.
“Salmon”
HLEEK-ah (with voiceless lateral fricative)
Salmon (łiq’a) is the lifeblood of the Tebughna people ("people of the water"). The annual return of king, red, and silver salmon anchors seasonal ceremonies and fish camps.
“Northern Pike”
ghel-GOOTS-ee
Literally references the sharp, needle-like teeth of the northern pike. Invasive in Cook Inlet, TTCD works with youth and elders to suppress pike and protect native salmon fry.
“Go get it! / Catch it!”
een-TL’KEET
An energetic imperative command used during active games and traditional hunting/fishing to encourage youth to chase or seize a target.
“We are picking berries”
GEH-gah t-cheh-TLAH-n
Berry gathering (gega) is a treasured multi-generational late-summer tradition where families camp on ridges to harvest salmonberries, blueberries, and cranberries.
Listen to the audio clip. Which core subsistence species is being pronounced?
Listen to the audio clip. What marine mammal observation does this phrase describe?
Listen to the audio clip. What does the traditional ecological phrase "beyich’ qilani" express?
Listen to the audio clip. What seasonal harvesting activity does "gega t’ch’eł’an" declare?
The Tebughna ("People of the Beach") speak the Upper Cook Inlet dialect of Dena’ina Athabascan, the only Athabascan language with coastal saltwater access. The sounds of Dena’ina include consonants unfamiliar to English speakers:
💡 Tip for Learners: Use the 0.75x Slow speed toggle on each slide to listen closely to these authentic elder recordings.
Western environmental science frequently treats ecosystems as isolated data sets. In contrast, Dena’ina ecological wisdom views human communities, salmon rivers, wetlands, and weather as deeply interconnected kin.
Align classroom units with local subsistence times—salmon in June, berries in August, moose in September, and soil dormancy in winter.
Teach youth that harvesting fish or plant medicines requires reverence, taking only what is needed and leaving no trace on the land.
Whenever possible, invite village knowledge keepers into science classes to recount oral histories of stream flows and animal behavior.
