#dene — Public Fediverse posts

#Tanacross #Dene #Alaska #language

ts'éninṯẖiit! "wake up!"
ts'enihthet "I woke up"
nátaat̲h̲et "s/he will stand"
nén’ tidaxdint̲h̲et "the world is messed up"
naa tidaxdint̲h̲et "that place is bad"
n’éɬ s̲h̲iikanítáat̲h̲eɬ "good luck in the future (for good deeds)"
ndóxk’ee n’éɬ xáat̲h̲eɬ? "how old are you?"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Alaska #Language

k’įį "birch tree"
k’įį ts’ědl’ "birch bark"
k’įįɬ "birch sap"
k’įį t’ą́ą’ "birch leaf"
k’įį nitdlíits "birch trees turned green" (leaves came out)
k’įį tth’áak "birch bark basket"
k’ints’eyh "birch bark canoe"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

"A lot of people talk about inter-generational trauma. But not enough people talk about inter-generational healing and beauty." #FIrstNations #Canada #Manitoba #Yukon #Dene #Indigenous cc: @cbcnews https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/dene-way-of-being-creator-network-north-9.7187813

Looking down the rather lovely Swarland Dene on an autumn day. #Northumberland #Woodland #Dene #Landscape #LandscapePhotography

“#Indigenous stories hold analogies of the natural unspoken laws of Mother Earth. But the truth is that stories expose powerful messages and there are forces in this world that do not want us to have that power.”

#FirstNations #books #climatechange #environment #Dene

https://www.windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/dene-laws-and-spiritual-stories-help-examining-human-made-climate-challenges

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Snowshoes are a technological marvel that allow northern Dene peoples to move across the land during the long winter. Unsurprisingly, there is an ancient and intricate vocabulary associated with snowshoes and snowshoe construction.

aayh "snowshoes"
sh’ǎay’ "my snowshoes"
wu’ǎay’ "his/her snowshoes"
aayh dechěnn’ "snowshoe frame"
ch’inx̲et "thin snowshoe webbing"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Here's some green (and red and brown) for St. Patrick's Day! A photo of mine of Mountain Cranberry, Crowberry, Alpine Bearberry, & Spruce Cone, Whitefish Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. ©Carl R. Englander

#StPatricksDay #ThrowbackThursday #Tundra #NaturePhotography #Nature #Naturalist #Conservation #Outdoors #Photography #Biodiversity #Film #Velvia #Canada #Inuit #NWT #Barrenlands #Dene #Environment #Ecosystem #Ecology #Plants #PhotographersOfMastodon

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

saa "sun"
xesaadin'ąą "it's sunny"
xasaaghin’ąą "the sun rose"
nasaaghin'ąą "the sun set"
yitehkaayh "it's starting to become daylight"
natsaa’elxek "it's getting dark"
saa ndéeth "early spring", when days are rapidly lengthening but snowmelt has not started.

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Commonly seen winter birds in eastern Interior Alaska with their rightful Tanacross Dene names. Bird sketches courtesy @[email protected] #Dene #Language #Alaska #Birds

Commonly seen winter birds in eastern Interior Alaska with their rightful Tanacross Dene names. Bird sketches courtesy National Audubon Society. @transitionalaspect @ScoterD

#Dene #Language #Alaska

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska ch’ěnděddh’ "elder, person of the oldest generation" tsíiyûul "ancestors" keey jed "former village" (no longer lived in) k’ahdą́ą dą́’ą "yesterday" yaniidą́’ą "long ago" yaniidą́’ą tah niimaal s̲h̲ax s̲h̲íi ch’e xdeltth’iix "long ago they lived in skin houses"

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

ch’ěnděddh’ "elder, person of the oldest generation"
tsíiyûul "ancestors"
keey jed "former village" (no longer lived in)
k’ahdą́ą dą́’ą "yesterday"
yaniidą́’ą "long ago"
yaniidą́’ą tah niimaal s̲h̲ax s̲h̲íi ch’e xdeltth’iix "long ago they lived in skin houses"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Saa Dzé’edeex Dé’ "Winter Solstice, literary when the sun divides"

Wunenh Nach’ehjedh "December"

Nach’imbâal Dzeen "Christmas" refers to an old custom of giving and receiving gifts at the darkest time oyear.
Dzeen Chox "Christmas" post-gold rush term

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

RE: https://mstdn.ca/@Windspeaker/115622429577085361

If you can't make it to the Whistler festival (Dec. 3 to 7), this movie will start streaming on the Knowledge Network in February 2026.

#Indigenous #FirstNations #wildlife #film #documentary #Dene #caribou #Whistler

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Winter gear:

xey ’eek "winter parka"
keech’ótl "mukluks"
ch’edzaat̲h̲éth keech’ótl "caribou legging mukluks"
dąą thetl "traditional fur pants"
jeyh "mittens"
des̲h̲oz jeyh "traditional mittens with fur inside"
jeyh tl’ǔul’ "mitten strings"
wut̲h̲een niɬkeneet’eey "parka ruff"
’aayh "snowshoes"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

There are many ways to talk about "darkness" in Tanacross Dene:

naghı̨́hxeetl "it became dark (outside)"
natl’és’áldox "it is pitch black (outside)"
teetl’ésnélgot "water is deep and dark"
xéɬ tah "evening", lit. among the darkness
dat-sęyh "it is black (color)"
shos sęy "black bear"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

#Dene #language #Alaska

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

shnąą "my mother"
shtá’ "my father"
shnąą iin "my parents"
shehɬâad "my family"
shkę́y’ "my husband"
sh’aat "my wife"
shtthé’e "my daughter" (man speaking)
shyaats’é’e "my daughter" (woman speaking)
shs̲h̲aaz "my son" (woman speaking)
shs̲h̲é’e "my son" (man speaking)

Dene languages have intricate vocabulary to refer to the relationships.

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Wunenh Ch’et’ą̌ą’ Dit-tsiig "September" literally "time when leaves turn yellow"
xdít-tsiik "leaves on birch trees turned yellow", refers to a landscape view and not necessarily any one tree
nén’ tenh k’édz’ "autumn", the time when the ground starts to freeze but before snow comes

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

"Wind" is nearly always used as a verb in Tanacross Dene

ehts’eyh "it's windy"
xaghįhts’eyh "it became windy"
xághints’eyh "it was stormy" (frequent strong wind)
ehts’eyh mâay "whirlwind" I think this refers to what would be called a "dust devil" in meteorological jargon
xah xú’ dets’iik "there's a little wind"
xdehs̲h̲ók "a breathe of wind blows"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Diik’aag nek-’ęh (I see the fireweed in fluff). @ScoterD @transitionalaspect

#BloomScrolling #Alaska #Summer2025 #Tanacross #Dene #Language

Tanacross #Dene #Alaska #Language

xnihheeyh "I'm talking"
xghihhá’ "I spoke"
xtaahéeɬ "s/he will speak"
Nee’aanděeg’ s̲h̲íi xunhéex? "do you speak our (Native) language?"

Dihthâad Xt’een ’iin aanděeg’ "Mansfield Lake People's language"
A modern coinage. Historically, Nee’aanděeg’ "our language" was sufficient.

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

xnelgęyh "it (the land) is dry"
tęy xdeegęyh gha ɬeemah delték "the trail is dry so dust flies up"
nah’ôg xnéet̲h̲eɬ "it (weather) is hot outside"
shetaniht’eh "I'm sweating"
yaandóg’ xok’enh "wildfire is burning up there (on a hill)"
ohíi uhchaan dyaa "oh, I wish it would rain"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Tanacross has an extensive vocabulary for precisely describing the manner of "cutting"

shíi ta’ihddheɬ "I’m cutting up meat (into small chunks)"
wuk’enindzonh "you cut it in half"
ɬuug dhekk’aayh "I cut (split) the fish"
shinlaats’ógh’ ghiht’aatth "I cut my finger"
ɬatnéedhı̨́htsaat "you sliced it"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

Migratory birds have returned to Interior Alaska.

tsuugaay "small songbirds"
k’elaxdihtsogh "yellow warbler"
ché’ delgez "arctic tern"
kets’iht’ón’ "swallow"
ts’est’ûud "dark eyed junco"
mehk’ą̂ąy "mew gull"
tuu ch’iis̲h̲eɬ "American dipper"
tsidaanmbiidh "crossbill"

@ScoterD @transitionalaspect

It's the time of year when water fowl return to Interior Alaska.

xah Canada goose
dąąxêd snow goose
deeɬ crane
dets’ên duck (general term)
t'aay chox mallard duck
tthí’k’ą̂ąy goldeneye duck
ndeɬ scoter, black duck
k’éɬttheel bufflehead duck
tuhtsêdl green-wing teal

@transitionalaspect @ScoterD

#Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska

#Dene #Alaska #Language

Tanacross borrowed fewer words from colonizer languages than some neighboring languages due to distance from Russian America and later arrival of Euro-Americans.

From Russian:
dayaan "chief"
jeliis "religious cross"
masdlah "butter"

From French:
lsel "salt"
ldîil "tea"
lsaaz "money"

From English:
sųųgąąy "sugar"
goheey "coffee"

@ScoterD
@transitionalaspect

Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska
taagos "trumpeter swan"
delgok "swan calls"

Taagos have been coming to Interior Alaska each spring since (at least) the Pleistocene to raise their chicks before heading south when nighttime darkness returns in August.

In this time of polycrisis in the human world, remembering there are 25,000 year old rhythms playing out today is helpful to me.