Dnaghelt'ana Qut'ana K'eli Ahdelyax

That is Dena'ina for They Sing the Songs of Many Peoples. It is the title of a book with CD, written by Craig Coray, a colleague at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The package is a collection of local Alaska Native songs recorded in the Lake Clark area by Craig's father, John Coray, in 1954. Craig's wife, Gale, gave my wife a copy of the package. A few nights ago, we listened to the songs and read the book. From cover to cover. I'm listening to the songs for the fourth time as I write. It is a wonderful tribute and labor of love.

Craig is perhaps the most authentic classical Alaskan composer. His craftsmanship is on a level far above mine, and above that of any of the rest of us up here. That level of attention also shows in every aspect of the book.

Craig's father, John, disappeared in his plane while crossing Cook Inlet, when Craig was a young child. For the last 20 years, as Coray has matured as a composer, he has infused his music with a deep and enduring love for the songs he has heard in the heart of Alaska since he was very young.

Here's an excerpt from a well-written review, done for UAA, by Ann Marie Wawersik, Jessica D. Hamlin:

John Coray died only a few years after making the tape and never realized its importance. It has since been identified as the first recording ever made of Dena’ina song and speech. It includes some very rare songs associated with old rituals and features five languages: Dena’ina, Yup’ik, Inupiaq, Slavonic Russian, and a rare dialect of Upper Kuskokwim Deg Hit’an spoken only by a few people in the Stony River area. The title of the book is “Dnaghelt’ana Qut’ana K’eli Ahdelyax:¬ ‘They Sing the Songs of Many Peoples.’” With the aid of linguist James Kari and several native elders, nearly all the songs have been translated. Coray has annotated the songs and written several musical transcriptions. The book also features historic photographs of the singers along with a map and list of place names. The book is not for sale but will be distributed in inland Dena’ina communities where hopefully it will help revive the language and the song/dance tradition. Along with a linguist and two anthropologists from the Lake Clark National Park cultural resources staff (one of whom is Dena’ina), Coray recently toured the communities of Lime Village, Pedro Bay, Newhalen, and Port Alsworth, where he gave presentations and distributed the book, urging these communities to maintain their song traditions. There was a final presentation and celebratory feast at Nondalton on September 28.

Coray's wonderful book has been printed in only 1,000 copies. It is being distributed primarily in Dena'ina communities. After the Thanksgiving holiday, I'll talk to Craig about how these unique songs might be available to more people on the web.