FDI - Ahtna

The Ahtna were a hunter/fisher/gatherer tribe of Alaska's Copper River that had little White contact until the 1880's. The tribe's aggressive nature allowed them to remain isolated in spite of White exploration. Their territory was sparsely populated. Though considerably smaller in population and speaking a different language, they are culturally close to the neighboring Tlingit.

Year	*History*
1781	Russian Nagaieff discovered mouth of Copper River, hostile natives prevented exploration
1796	Russian Samoylof attempted exploration, failed
1798	Russian Lastochkin attempted exploration failed
1819	Russian Klimoffsky attempted exploration failed; Russian post established near Taral
1837	Smallpox epidemic
1844	Russian Gregorief attempted exploration, failed
1848	Russian Serebrannikof partially explored river, he and 3 others killed by natives; Taral post closed
1867	Alaska Purchase
1882	Holt ascended to Taral, killed by natives
1884	Lt. Abercrombie explored part of river
1885	Lt. Allen explored to Ahtena villages
1898	Gold rush, influx of miners
1905	Richardson Highway opened
1918	Influenza epidemic
1942	Epidemic
1948	Epidemic
1971	Shared in $962.5 million settlement for land claims relative to Alaska Pipeline; Athena Corporation formed for administration

Year	AK Population	Source
1700	500	NAHDB calculation
1740	500	Mooney estimate
1800	550	NAHDB calculation
1818	567	Petroff estimate
1880	300	Petroff estimate
1890	142	Census
1900	300	NAHDB calculation
1910	297	Census
1967	500	Federal Field Committee
2000	800	NAHDB calculation

*Ethnie:*	AHTNA
*Language:*	Ahtna
*Family:*	Tanaina-Ahtna
*Stock:*	Athapaskan
*Phylum:*	Na-Dene
*Macro-Culture:*	Alaska