Definition of Ahtena
plural Ahtena
or Ahtenas
or Ahtna
or Ahtnas
1 a
: an Athapaskan people of the Copper river valley in southeastern Alaska
- The Ahtena hunted a variety of animals, including moose, caribou, mountain sheep, and rabbits.
- —Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, (1999) 2006
- The Ahtna lived in extended family groups close to good salmon runs, which provided the mainstay of their diet.
- —Greg Fensterman, Hiking Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 2008
b
: a member of such people
2
: the language of the Ahtena people
- The Ahtena language is spoken by a minority of tribal members; a dictionary was published in 1990 in the hope of preserving it.
- —Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, (1999) 2006
- His rebuke caused no little tension and was immediately followed by a conciliatory speech in both Ahtna and English …
- —William E. Simeone, Rifles, Blankets, and Beads, 1995
