Alaska Native Place Names Project

The Alaska Native Place Names Project collaborates with Indigenous communities across Alaska to consolidate Indigenous place name documentation and related linguistic, cultural and environmental knowledge.

With support from Alaska EPSCoR in 2011 a pilot project was initiated focusing on the Lower Tanana Dene language. In 2016 with support from National Science Foundation grant OPP-1624365 the project was expanded to integrate historic maps and manuscript data with place name information within an extensible, open-source geodatabase using the Nunaliit atlas software. This project will provide a foundation for use by both researchers and community members, contributing to a better understanding of environmental knowledge while at the same time helping to preserve and promote Indigenous place names in Alaska. project website