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Koyukon Plant Database



Currently sorted By creation date ascending Sort chronologically: By last update | By creation date change to descending

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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Rubus idaeus

dets'en tl'aakk
tl'aakk1
589
Lit. 'goose + Ω' (unclear term)
Rubus idaeus


ts'en3
664


Rubus idaeus

neełdeggey
dekk1
129



Rubus idaeus
Rubus idaeus
:


Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Polygonum alpinum wild rhubarb
ggooł
ggootl2
217
Nelson identifies this with Rumex arcticus
Sullivan - "The leafstalks and stems, when young and tender, are eaten by the natives, either raw, or fried in grease, or boiled as greens."

dried stem of wild rhubarb
ggooł tsets
ggootl2
217





tsets2
636



Polygonum alpinum
Polygonum alpinum
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Rosa acicularis wild rose
hus dekene', hus
hus
265




kooyh
kooyh
305



rose blossom
kooyh kone'
kooyh
305



rose hip
kooyh loyde
kooyh
305

Nelson - Eaten raw

Source of vitamin C


hus loyde
hus
265



seeds of the rose hip
kooyh yee deneege'
kooyh
305


Dasiphora floribunda tundra rose, shrubby cinquefoil
kk'uy' tloye'
tloy
584



Rosa acicularis
Rosa acicularis

Dasiphora_floribunda
Dasiphora floribunda
:


Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Rubus spectabilis cloudberry
kkotl
kkotl2
340



Rubus spectabilis
Rubus spectabilis

Rubus spectabilis
:


Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Picea glauca
or
Picea mariana

spruce tree or forest
ts'ebaa
baa4::ts'ebaa
77
Nelson gives ts'ibaa as the name for Picea glauca and ts'ibaa t'aal as Picea mariana. He also notes specific words used for spruce that is dry, half-dry or green.
Sullivan - Spruce is used green as end pieces of canoe frame.

In The Ten'a Food Quest there is an extensive description of spruce used along with willow in the construction of basket traps for fishing.

Used in making the "hi'o" pole for the traditional stick dance to honor the dead.

Nelson - The Koyukon origin story for spruce tells about a woman who heard a tale that was so sad and terrible that she began to cry and pinch her skin. She was transformed into a spruce tree and her bark remained pinched and rough.

Nelson - White spruce is the principle source for firewood and building materials for a variety of items such as houses, boats, canoes, caches, tent frames, etc.

golden-colored spruce tree
udle deneł
utl1
70


Picea glauca
a variety of white spruce with golden needles
eł doyonh
eł3
35



dried spruce branch
k'etloo' ggunh
tloo
584

Nelson - Used as a toggle to attach to traps

fresh spruce gum, pitch
dzaah tl'eyh
dzaakk2
161

Sullivan - Used for boat repair

Nelson - Clear sap is used to disinfect sore.

Hard yellowish pitch is used as chewing gum.

Can be mixed with fat to make a varnish.

"..formerly burned in shamanistic curing session, yielding spiritual power from the spruce."



tl'eyh
605



hardwood of spruce or birch
ggʉyh
ggʉyh1
224

Nelson - Used in making woven traps to harvest otter

Used for making scow sleds (esp. Bettles area) and "gee poles."

On pages 142-144 of Tracks in the Wildland, Nelson gives a description of using spruce wood to make a blackfish trap.

red-colored, decayed spruce wood
ch'etodeetluh
tluh2
587



spongy, rotten spruce
nodooye tsone'
dooy2
152

Nelson - Combined with rotten "little tree" willow and is used to smoke hides. Combined in a ratio that is slightly more willow than spruce; use about a "medium-sized packsack" full to smoke two hides.

spruce bough
eł tloo'
tloo
584

Sullivan - Used as bedding material for sled dogs and covering tent floors in camp

Used as roofing material in summer shelters

spruce root
hʉyh
hʉyh2
277

Sullivan - Used as thread in sewing birch bark canoes and baskets

Nelson - Also notes that large, woody roots called k'aggaadla' are carved into spoons and bowls

spruce bark



Described from Nelson as k'ilot'oodza'
Nelson - "The bark is peeled from green trees to make camp floors, roofs, and tops for fish cutting tables."

Clark - Describes the construction of a traditional spruce bark house in "Koyukuk River Culture"

spruce cone
dekeldegheyhtl
gheyhtl::degheyhtl
247

Clark - "...if food supplies were low...the 'nuts' from the spruce cones were used as food supplements."


delojodzee
jots
194



spruce needle
eł begge'
eł3
35

Jetté - Needles are used to make a tea for use in a blood-letting ceremony.

Nelson - "The needles are boiled and the resulting infusion is drunk to cure kidney problems or to obtain spirit power from the spruce. This may also be applied to heal dry skin or sores."


eł tlenok'oodle'
k'ootl3
318



top of spruce tree
ts'ebaa loyet
baa4::ts'ebaa
77

Nelson - "The tops are cut from small trees and carried for spiritual protection in certain places."

Previously used in shamanistic practices to treat a sick individual.

Picea glauca
Picea glauca
Picea glauca
Picea glauca - cones

Picea mariana
Picea mariana
:
see Bluebell
:


Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Salix sp.

kk'ʉy
kk'ʉy'
372

Sullivan - Many descriptions of willows being cut and used as ground cover during fish and game processing

Nelson - Willow poles are used for setting gill nets under the ice.

Used to build a variety of items such as fish racks, basket rims, fish traps, etc.

Zagoskin - reports a long jumping contest played along the Koyukuk in 1843 that involved ten pieces of willow placed six feet apart and gradually moved farther apart to determine a winner.

a large willow, tree size
kk'ʉy gede'
kk'ʉy'
372



a medium sized willow, a reddish mid-sized willow
belaazon kk'ʉye'
zon1
741
Lit. 'otter's willow' Jones - Used to make snare fences

a rotten willow
ts'ell'ʉyh t;'oodle'
tl'otl2
611


Salix arbusculoides
a tree willow
kk'ʉyloo
łoo
418
"Littletree willow" - Nelson
Nelson - Combined with rotten spruce and used to smoke hides. Description of process on pages 165 - 166 of Tracks in the Wildland.

Young leaves are eaten.

Small shoots and stems are peeled and scraped to obtain sweet, edible sap.

catkin of the willow
kk'olodeeto'
kk'ʉy'
373





to'2
518



dry willows
oghe
o2
40



inner bark of willow
ch'etlotone'
tp2
517

Clark - Made into twine and woven to make nets for fishing. These nets must be kept wet at all times to prevent cracking.


k'aalt'oodze'
t'oots
557

Sullivan - Mouths of fish are tied with willow bark before being roasted whole.

Nelson - In Tracks in the Wildland he describes the use of willow bark in the ceremony held when the first king salmon of the season is caught. "If women wanted to participate in the ceremony, they had to wear cords of twisted willow bark around their necks and wrists."

fresh willow sprouts in spring
kk'olgeets
geets
185



pussy willow catkin
kk'ololeege'
kk'ʉy'
373



reddish willow in mountains
kk'uyh tseek
kk'ʉy'
372



small, red-barked willow
bet'on' deets'aaggeye
ts'aakk
652



species of mid-sized willow
bezeye kk'ʉye'
kk'ʉy'
372



willow catkin
kk'ʉy dleyh deloyule'
yul
720



willow with red bark
kk'ʉykk'eze
kk'ʉy'
372


Salix bebbiana
Bebb willow, diamond willow
kk'ʉy dliyh

Description from Nelson not found in KAD
Nelson - Used for decorative woodwork
Salix planifolia
diamondleaf willow
kk'uy dlits'eela


Description from Nelson not found in KAD

Salix pulchra
Salix pulchra

Salix catkins
Salix
sp. catkins


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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Pyrola sp.
pyrola
tso' dzeghe ts'eeł' aanee
tso'
640
Lit. 'that which we use as a beaver's ear'

Pyrola grandiflora
Pyrola grandiflora
:
Scientific Name
Related Terms
Koyukon Name
Koykon Root
KAD Page
Notes on Translation
Use Information
Empetrum nigrum

deenaałt' aas

Described from Nelson not in KAD
Nelson - "Eaten when it is found in mountain areas, the crowberry is said to be helpful in relieving thirst."

é
Empetrum nigrum
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Scientific Name
Related Terms Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Allium schoenoprasum wild chives



Described by Nelson but he did not give a Koyukon name for the plant
Nelson - Eaten raw alone or mixed with fish


Allium schoenoprasum
Allium schoenoprasum


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