Work continues on the new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, set to open this fall in Anchorage (webcam). Thus huge 200,000 square foot project will feature artwork by Native artist James Grant. It should perhaps be taken as a sign progress that the use of a Native name for a public facility has drawn little if any criticism. This may seem a trivial point, but compare Anchorage's choice of the name Dena'ina to similar efforts elsewhere in Alaska. Recent public construction projects in Fairbanks have honored Native peoples by continuing the very non-Native practice of using personal names, as with the recently completed Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. By contrast, the Dena'ina Center is a bold move. And not only does Dena'ina figure in the name of the facility, Dena'ina names are also found within the facility. As reported in the September 2006 CIRI newsletter, the five main rooms will also feature Dena'ina names.
Main Ballroom – Tikahtnu (Cook Inlet)
Executive Boardroom – K’enakatnu (Knik)
Meeting Room – Kahtnu (Kenai)
Meeting Room – Tubughnenq’ (Tyonek)
Exhibit Hall – Idlughet (Eklutna)
Notice that not only are these Native names, but they are also spelled correctly in the standard orthography. Perhaps someday even Gasht'ana (whiteman) will learn to pronounce Eklutna properly as Idlughet. In any case, the use of Dena'ina names in this new facility will serve as a continual reminder of the Athabascan heritage of the Cook Inlet region.