University of Alaska publishes new indigenous language map of Alaska

The University of Alaska has published a new Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska map. CIRI shareholder Jim Kerr researched and compiled data for the map while working at the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) as a systems analyst and is cited as an author.

The new edition of the iconic map shows the traditional indigenous language regions of Alaska and related languages of neighboring areas in Canada and Russia. The map includes more than 270 indigenous place names in indigenous orthography and is available in digital format.

The new version updates maps created in 1974 and last updated in 1982 by Michael Krauss. The new map was generated with geographic information systems (GIS) technology and is a joint project of ISER and the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska Native Language Center.

The full-size map is 34 inches by 44 inches and can be ordered online from the Alaska Native Language Center for $15 at www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/map/. An interactive map is available online at www.alaskool.org, a website maintained by ISER that is of the largest online collections of materials on Alaska Native peoples, languages and history.