Holikachuk is an Athabaskan language spoken in the village of Grayling in southwestern Alaska. It is part of the Northern Athabaskan language continuum and falls between Deg Hit'an (Ingalik) and Koyukon. Linguistically, it is closer to Lower Koyukon, although culturally the Holikachuk people are closer to the Deg Hit'an.
Today Holikachuk is the most endangered Athabaskan language of Alaska and it is in danger of disappearing with the passing of the oldest generation. There are approximately twelve speakers left among an estimated population of 200 ethnic Holikachuk (Krauss, 1997:32). Furthermore, all speakers are over sixty years of age and some are quite elderly. Holikachuk is also an under-documented language. There is no detailed study of the language and no grammatical description goes beyond the basic phonology.
The objective of this project is the comprehensive grammatical description of Holikachuk resulting in the publication of a detailed descriptive grammar of the language. This will be achieved through extensive fieldwork and analysis of all data previously recorded on Holikachuk. The grammar will be the result of several phases of analysis following each field season and it will be published by the Alaska Native Language Center. A computer database program will be used to start compiling a Holikachuk dictionary.
The resulting field notes and descriptive grammar will be useful to language preservationists, linguists and scholars in related disciplines, and the Holikachuk community. This project will be the first step towards insuring the preservation of Holikachuk by providing a permanent comprehensive record of the language. In doing so, it will contribute directly to the study of comparative Athabaskan and of the Northern Athabaskan language continuum. The textual material is important to Oral History and Anthropology and will contribute to the expansion of the ethnographic record on the Holikachuk people and Northern Athabaskan cultures. The Holikachuk community will gain a permanent record of their ancestral language as well as tools necessary for the production of pedagogical materials for the development of revitalization programs.
