Linguist James Kari publishes Lower Tanana Dene Dictionary

Photo of James Kari
Photo courtesy of James Kari
James Kari

April 28, 2025

In an 865-page dictionary, Kari consolidates primary data from the years 1903 to 2023 for the language used by Indigenous residents of the middle Tanana River valley. The dictionary presents the words, skills and ideas of more than 40 expert Lower Tanana speakers. New features increase the dictionary鈥檚 accessibility for a range of users, including members of the Lower Tanana community, specialists in Dene linguistics or ethnology, and interdisciplinary scholars of prehistory.

The published the dictionary. It also is available for purchase through the UAF in hardcover ($120), paperback ($80) and digital ($30) editions.

Kari, who retired from the center in 1997, remains active in 91视频 Native language research. Over the past 35 years, he has contributed extensively to the study of multiple Athabascan languages, including Ahtna, Dena鈥檌na, Koyukon and Upper Tanana.