Culture of Native Americans
What's new on our siteUS tribes
Culture of Native Americans
What's new on our site
This is our collection of links to Tanaina stories and folktales that can be read online. We have indexed our Native American tales section by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same story are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. In particular, though these legends come from the Tanaina, the traditional stories of related tribes like the Koyukon and Ingalik tribes are very similar.
Raven:
Raven is the creator god of the Tanaina and other Alaskan Athabaskan tribes.
He is a revered and benevolent figure who helps the people and shapes their world for them,
but at the same time, he is also a trickster character and many Tanaina stories about Raven have to do with
his frivolous or poorly thought out behavior getting him into trouble.
Beaver:
Also known as the Transformer or Wanderer, Beaver is a heroic monster-slayer in Tanaina folklore.
Frequently he uses his cleverness rather than his strength to defeat his enemies,
at which point he either kills them or transforms them into something harmless.
Athabascans of Interior Alaska: When People Meet Animals:Our Voices: Native Stories of Alaska and the Yukon:
Learn more about the Tanaina tribe
Visit our Native American story site
Contemporary Native American art
Native American clothes
Indian designs
Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?
Contacts and FAQ page