Athabascan heritage

Along the Glenn Highway National Scenic Byway, just north of Palmer, lies Chickaloon, a small community that is rich with Athabascan heritage.

Chickaloon, which means "the river with the two logs across it" in the Ahtna language, is home to the Chickaloon Native Village, and the traditional tribal council is working to preserve their Athabascan culture for future generations.

Visitors can learn more about the Athabascan heritage of the area by visiting Alpine Historical Park in nearby Sutton. There are several cultural displays, highlighted by the Winter Lodge, which was built by the park and the Chickaloon tribe. Typically, winter lodges were used as temporary camps by the Athabascans, as they moved from camp to camp depending on what season it was. In the summer, families settled their own fish camps, and would return to the winter lodge after the fishing season. The lodges were typically built in the forest.

Guided tours are available at Alpine Historical Park, which is located at Mile 61.6 of the Glenn Highway.

Chicakloon art