Kalifornsky village, Alaska

Kalifornsky village was a Dena'ina Athabaskan village about ten miles south of Kenai and four miles north of the mouth of the Kasilof River. It is best-known as the birthplace of the self-taught Dena'ina writer and ethnographer Peter Kalifornsky.

Location

The site of Kalifornsky village is located at 60°25′N, 151°17′W.Orth, 1967, p. 489] . It lies about ten miles south of Kenai and four miles north of the mouth of the Kasilof River on a bluff overlooking Cook Inlet.

Nomenclature

Kalifornsky village derived its name from the adopted surname of its founder, a Dena'ina Indian named Qadanalchen (meaning "acts quickly" in the Outer Inlet dialect of the Dena'ina language). Qadanalchen had worked at the Russian American outpost of Fort Ross in California from about 1812 to about 1821. On his return to Alaska, Qadanalchen took the name Nikolai Kalifornsky.Kizzia, 1991-12-16.] Kalifornsky was the Russian equivalent of "Californian."Little, 2002-06-28.]

In 1916, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic reported the name of the village as "Kalifonsky", omitting the "r" due to an apparent transcription error. According to the "Dictionary of Alaska Place Names", "The name may be derived from the 'Kali (fishermen)' clan of Tanaina Indians, with a Russian termination." A related place name, "Kalifonsky Beach", was derived from this mistaken nomenclature.

Footnotes

References

* Kizzia, Tom, (1991-12-16). "The Invisible People The Good Land: Competing Myths Shroud Arrival of Russian Traders." "Anchorage Daily News", p. A1.
* Little, Jon, (2002-06-28). "Diggin’ history — Kenaitze youths help archaeology students." "Anchorage Daily News", p. A1.
* Orth, Donald J. (1967). "Dictionary of Alaska Place Names." Geological Survey Professional Paper 567. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.