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Koyukon Plant Database



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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Calla palustris
wild calla
bekenaal baabe'
baabe
79
Lit. 'beaver's food'; 'moose's food' Kwaraceius - "Refers to fleshy rhizome of yellow pond lilly (Nuphar polysepalum) as well as wild calla." "Commonly called the root of yellow pond lily, which is edible, whereas that of wild calla is poisonous to humans."


taah ggoldzeede'
dzeet
168
Lit. 'water ball' Kwaraceius - "Refers to the ball-like spadix (cluster of flowers) in the early summer, and to the berries later."

root of wild calla
taah ts'edone
don2
147
Lit. 'underwater food'

Also refers to yellow pond lily rather than wild calla root


Calla palustris
Calla palustris
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Vaccinium ulignosum

nełyaaghe
yo4
698
Lit. 'that which grows' Nelson - Notes that along with cranberries these are the most important plant food to the Koyukon Athbascans.

Marcotte - Average collection in Huslia in 1983 was two gallons per household.

Vaccinium ulignosum
Vaccinium ulignosum
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Boschniakia rossica
poque
dotson' ggooneegge'
tson'
644
Lit. 'raven pipe' Jones - "A plant with hollow stem used as a tube."


dotson' ch'echene'





Boschniakia rossica
Boschniakia rossica
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Mertensia paniculata
lungwort
ggaał lodelyaaye
ggaał
200
Lit. 'those which are put in the king salmon's throat (mouth)' Jetté - "They all seem to allude to a practice of putting the bluebell plant in the king salmon's mouth. No description of the custom could be obtained. The practice, as well as the various names, are entirely unknown to the upper tribe."


ggaał laagge zelaaye






ggaał laagge nodelyaaye






ggaał dzaaye'




Mertensia paniculata

noolaagh dzaaye'
dzaayh2
165
Lit. 'dog salmon's heart' or 'king salmon's heart'


ggaał dzaaye'




Mertensia paniculata or Valeriana capitata
unidentified bluebell or valerian
łookk'e lo daaldloye
lo2
404
unidentified plant that grows on the edge of lakes, possibly bluebell or valerian
Jones - "This is burned under a fishnet so that smoke drifts through the meshes to rid the net of bad luck."

Mertensia paniculata
Mertensia paniculata
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Betula papyrifera
paper birch
kk'eeyh
kk'eeyh
353

Jetté - "Birchwood is used extensively in the making of sleds, canoe frames, snowshoes, etc., and for such purposes the birch that grows on hillsides, or in dry ground is always selected when available. The native claim that the one from the flood-plains rots easily and does not last over one year. My experience goes to confirm this statement."

Sullivan - Beginning on page 2 of the The Ten'a Food Quest, he gives a description of use for fish wheel baskets. On page 3 is a description of birch bark being used as canoe covering and how trees are selected for bark.

Sullivan - Inner bark is separated from outer bark and dried and roughened to prevent fish from slipping during processing.
Bark is used as a watertight roofing material in combination with earth. Also used in basket making.

Sullivan - On page 28 of The Ethnology of the Ten'a Indians of Interior Alaska, he describes the process for making bow and arrows from green birch wood.

Nelson - On pages 177-185 of Tracks in the Wildland he gives descriptions and illustrations of how birch bark is gathered and used for a variety of containers.

Clark - Big game spears were made from a shaft of birch and a spear head made from moose tibia or bear ulna.
Betula nana
dwarf birch
łeyeł
yeł3
692
Means shrub in general, but when applied to a specific plant it most often means Betula nana, but can also refer to Betula glandulosa
Betula glandulosa
resin birch
kk'aan dikina


Described from Nelson, not in KAD


Betula papyrifera

Betula papyrifera

Betula nana
Betula nana
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Arctostaphylos alpina
alpine bearberry
geeze noghe'
geeze
185
Lit. 'camprobber's eyes' Nelson - Stored in moose fat or grease, and mixed with fish, meat or oil before eating

kinnikinnick



Noted as a common name for geeze noghe'

Arctostaphylos rubra
red-fruited bearberry
deneyh
neyh
476
Nelson notes this also applies to Arctostaphylos alpina and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Jetté - "A berry resembling the haw, the fruit of the hawthorne, but round, not oblong and hardly ever over 3/8 inch in diameter. The natives collect it on hillsides, late in the fall, when it is still quite hard, and use it during winter, mostly in nonaałdlode. 'Indian ice cream'"
Arctostaphylos alpina
Arctostaphylos alpina
Arctostaphylos rubra
Arctostaphylos rubra
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Actacea rubra

nełtene ch'ejege'
ten5
513
Lit. 'thunder berry'

Baneberry
Actacea rubra
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Populus tremuloides
quaking aspen
t'egheł kk'ooge
gheł5
244
Lit. 'tiny cottonwood, little cottonwood'
Nelson notes that aspen is used much in the same way as balsam poplar.


t'egheł yoze





small, dry standing aspen
t'egheł zooze'
soos
747
Lit. 'conical cottonwood'


Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides

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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Sorbus scopulina
mountain ash
dekenh ts'ot'eeye
t'aa01
541
Lit. 'wood that is evil' Jetté - "Evil wood, a species of elder, having a voluminous light pith, and exhaling a rather strong odor of prussic acid. Grows to about six feet, the shoots clustering from one root. It is credited with special virtues to drive away the devils, more particularly those that cause sickness and most of all the denaa gheneede. It exposes however those who come in contact with it to the bane of the tleedotole. An old woman is generally the gatherer, and before cutting the twigs she lays some presents at the root, and makes apologies for the liberty which she is about to take, pleading the urgent necessity and the gheno kk'aat. The branches are brought to the camp and boiled in water, the decoction being used either as a potion or as a lotion. This remedy is used almost exclusively for children, and as a last resort, when all other measures have failed."
Sambucus racemosa
red elder
ł



Kwaraceius - "Jetté's descriptions, including the strong smell and the pithy wood, fit elder Sambucus racemosa (Jetté offered the same genus name). However, its northernmost range is around the southern border of Denali Park. Mountain ash, Sorbus scopulina, is a plant that superficially resembles elder. It ranges through much of the Koyukon Athabaskan area. However, it does not match Jetté's descriptions. Though both plants are used for medicinal and food purposes, one must exercise caution using them. The prussic acid in elder is poisonous and is found in almost all parts of the plant. However, the cooked, deseeded berries are edible and are used to make jams and jellies."

Sambucus racemosa
Sambucus racemosa
Sorbus scopulina
Sorbus scopulina
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Scientific Name Related Terms
Koyukon Name Koyukon Root KAD Page Notes on Translation Use Information
Artemesia sp. sage
tl’uh tsen
tl’uh 616 Lit. 'fragrant grass'  

wormwood
       
Artemesia tilesii
stinkweed tl’enh benee
ben5 98 Locally called stinkweed


Artemesia tilesii
Artemisia tillesii

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