About the Koyukon Language

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About the Koyukuk Region and the Koyukon Language:

The Na-Dene Family of Languages is spoken in throughout a wide geographic swath of Western North America, from northwestern Alaska south to the Rio Grande region in what is now New Mexico and Arizona.  Besides Koyukon, languages belonging to this group include (but are not limited to): Apache, Navajo, Tanaina, Denaina, Ahtna, Tlinget, Haida, Eyak, Beaver, Carrier,  Chilcotin, Dene (Chipewyan),   Dogrib,  Gwich'in,  Han,  Sarsi,  Sekani,  Slave,  Coquille,  Galice,  Hupa,  Kato, Mattole,  Tolowa, Tututni, and  Wailaki

Koyukon is one of the Athabascan languages with the widest  geographic representation amongst the 2400+  people of the Koyukuk and middle Yukon river regions.  It is comprised of  three dialects - Upper, Central, and Lower - and is still the primary language spoken by about 300 people in 11 villages. 

During the late 19th century,  a Jesuit Catholic missionary, Jules Jette, researched and developed awareness of  the Koyukon  language. Since the early 1970s, native Koyukon speaker Eliza Jones has produced much linguistic material for use in schools and by the general public. 

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