Simeoneblog: Batzulnetas

Allen wanted to find a route that out lead him from the Copper to the Tanana River. The expedition was now nearing the head of the Copper River. The upper Copper River is the homeland of the Upper Ahtna, Tatl'ahwt'aenn, the Headwaters People. In 1885 there were at least 3 main settlements in the region, all connected to salmon fishing sites: Mentasta, Suslota, and Batzulnetas. In this post the expedition reaches Batzulnetas and then heads over Suslota Pass. Near the mouth of the Gakona River Allen had picked up a crippled Ahtna who turned out to be an excellent guide and was leading the expedition up river to Batzulnetas. They had passed the mouth of the Slana River.

At this point the Ahtna guide shifted direction, following the course of the main river, which headed east northeast, while the direction of the Slana River was almost due north. Here the river braids into several channels that they began to cross. The current made it necessary for the party to join hands while crossing some of the channels. They joined a well-worn trail that was headed north east, passing a collection of snowshoes and sledges that had been cached in the branches of several trees. The guide went on ahead to announce the arrival of the party to Batzulnetas. As usual there was a salute of gunshots and the party was met by a group of 31 men, 10 women, and 15 children. A number of people had come over from the Tanana River to fish for salmon. There was one house, where the headman Batzulnetas lived while everyone else lived in shelters made from spruce bough houses.

In the Ahtna language the place Allen called Batzulnetas is named Nataełde or ‘roasted salmon place.’ Batzulnetas is actually the name of a kaskae or “rich man” whose name was Bets’ulnii Ta’, ‘Father of Someone Respects Him’. Allen spelled his name Batzulnetas and called the village by the same name, and it has been known by this name ever sense. Locally, the place name is said Banzaneta. Batzulnetas is located near the confluence of Tanada Creek and the Copper River. It is the premier salmon fishing site on the upper Copper River and was located at the intersection of several major trails that led to the Tanana River via Mentasta Pass and Suslota Pass, and to the Nabesna River. The main trail up the Copper River also intersected these other routes here.

Although generally considered one place, the site really encompasses three locations: Nataełde (‘Roasted Salmon Place’), C’ecenn’gha (‘by the stumps’), and C’ecaegge (‘river mouth’), which located on the Copper River just below the mouth of Tanada Creek. Apparently C’ecenn’gha is the oldest of the three sites with indications of habitation that predate the Christian era. C’ecenn’gha is also the home of the fabled ‘tailed men,’ and the site of a massacre of Russian explorers at the hands of the Ahtna.

Nataełde is where Allen and his party stopped on their way to the Tanana Valley. It is also the home of Batzulnetas Billy and Sanford Charley and the natal village of Sanford Charley’s daughter Katie John who fought the State of Alaska for her right to harvest salmon in Tanada Creek. As such, Katie John and Batzulnetas have become symbolic of the rights of all Alaska Native people to maintain a traditional subsistence way of life.

In the book Tatl’ahwt’aenn Nenn’ The Headwaters People’s Country (Kari 1987:115-121) Katie John tells her mother’s story of Allen’s arrival. At the time Katie’s mother was a young woman and she remembered the American’s red hair. She also said that when the soldiers first arrived people were afraid of them.

There was a rumor that the soldiers might try and kill the children. In case something should happen Bets’ulnii Ta’ sent for the chief of Sasluugu’, whose name was Ggaan’ Ggets Ta’ or ‘father of twisted arm’ (Allen mentions that Ggaan’ Ggets Ta’ arrived with eight men). In the story about the killing of the Russians at Slana in 1848 Katie John says that Bets’ulnii Ta’ and his family were at Slana. It is no wonder Bets’ulnii Ta’ was worried that Allen might have come for revenge. But the Americans proved friendly and were feasted on dried salmon, which Katie notes was fish from the previous year. When Allen got ready to leave Katie’s mother’s uncle was sent to guide him to the Tanana River Valley.

Bets’ulnii Ta was 6 feet 4 inches tall, “clad in a blouse of scarlet flannel, obtained from a trading station on the Yukon River, and a pair of native trousers which included the foot gear. His shirt was cotton cloth, and black woolen hat with strips of red flannel, completed his costume. His hair hung down his back in a tangled roll 3 feet long, showing no signs of ever having had any attention. As a shaman, Bets’ulnii Ta could neither have it cut nor combed his hair. Over each ear hung two small braids, secured at the ends by beads and sinew.” Allen thought Batzulnetas may have become chief or Tyone because he was a medicine man and because of his height. He was the largest Native Allen encountered on his journey.

Here Allen learned from a Tanana River Native that the Tanana River people went over to the Upper Yukon River to trade with American traders.

On arriving at the village the party was given food but after that food was scarce and the Natives were waiting for the arrival of the salmon that they expected at any moment. During the afternoon of June 3 eight men from the nearby village of Suslota appeared and that evening the Natives had what Allen called a “grand orgy.”

Allen learned that passage over the mountains would take about 7 days and he was able to secure several guides. He remarked that while the Ahtna from Batzulnetas were similar to those at Taral, their language was not readily intelligible.

Just before they left to continue their journey the first salmon arrived, a rather small one which was placed in a conspicuous place on one of the spruce bough houses and was visited with great satisfaction and singing.

From Batzulnetas the party made their way to Lake Suslota and the village of Sasluugu (‘small sockeye salmon’). The ground was boggy and flat. At Suslota they found one house and 3 or 4 families, consisting of 8 men, 6 women and 9 children. They were eating dried fish. At the time, the village was located on the lake but in 1906 it was moved downstream to the mouth of Suslota Creek.

From Sasluugu Allen is led across Suslota Pass, moving from the Copper to Tanana River drainages. He remarks that the fact that the Copper and Tanana have their beginnings so close to one another was truly amazing. From Batzulentas the Copper continues into the Wrangell Mountains terminating at several glaciers flowing off of Mt. Wrangell. The Tanana has its origins in 2 glaciers that flow out of the Wrangells. The Chisana glacier marks the beginning of the Chisana River while Nabesna Glacier is the beginning of the Nabesna River, both these rivers join to for the Tanana,

Allen thinks this pass will be the communication link between the two drainages but the road eventually goes through Mentasta Pass. Natives from both sides of the pass had visited the Yukon, which settled the question of whether Native people from the Copper River ever visited the Yukon. Allen apparently discussed this with traders Ladue and McQuesten, who told him that they had seen Copper River people on the Yukon in 1883.

Left Suslota village on June 5th, the upper end of Suslota Lake was still covered with ice. From a hill on the upper end of the lake they could see the entire upper Copper River. Further into the mountains they ran across a small stream flowing into Suslota where salmon were struggling upstream. (On the map there is no streams flowing into the upper end of Lake Suslota. The streams on the map all flow down into the Slana River so the salmon Allen saw probably came up the Slana and were headed to small lakes to spawn or there has been a shift in the local terrain).

Crossed over into the Tanana drainage. Allen seems amazed that he can do this, probably because he had been told it would be impossible or difficult. Allen describes how his inclination is to follow a tributary of the little Tok River down to the Tok River and hence to the Tanana, but the Natives persuade him not to because they would starve. Instead the party heads almost due east eventually reaching a divide that Allen estimates is 4,500 feet. The view is spectacular with the Tanana valley in front of them and a good view of the low hills that divide the Tanana from the Yukon. “On this pass, with both white and yellow buttercups around me and snow within a few feet, I sat proud of the grand sight which no visitor save an Atnatana or Tananatana had ever seen.”

The Anthropologists Holly Reckord writes that Katie John could describe the trail from Suslota over the pass. The trail led directly north over the 3,000 foot Suslota Pass to the Little Tok River valley. A second trail went around the north shore of the lake through the Bear Valley, over the Slana River to the village of Mentasta and Mentasta Pass. Another trail went down Suslota Creek to its confluence with the Slana River and then on to Slana Village at the mouth of the Slana River.

Note on Photos: Allen took pictures but all of the negatives are lost so there are no early photos of Batzulnetas.

Mentasta Lake

The village of Mentasta, circa 1899. In the lower left had corner is the fish weir used to harvest salmon and whitefish. Salmon can be seen drying in the background. Note the large houses.