51 Station, Alaska Railroad - Portage to Anchorage

The development of the Alaska Railroad brought significant and lasting changes to the traditional homelands of the Ahtna and Dena'ina Peoples. While often described as a project intended to connect communities across the state, its construction followed routes long established by Indigenous travel and trade networks, transforming these pathways into corridors of industrial expansion.

The railroad introduced an influx of non-Native populations and large-scale development that altered the land in profound ways. Areas that had sustained Ahtna and Dena'ina subsistence lifeways for generations experienced environmental disruption, including land disturbance, pollution, and, in some places, the diversion of waterways that affected salmon populations—an essential source of food, culture, and continuity for the community.

These changes impacted not only the physical landscape but also the relationships between people, land, and resources that have long guided Ahtna ways of life. Despite these disruptions, Ahtna and Dena'ina Peoples have continued to adapt, maintain cultural practices, and uphold responsibilities to their homelands.

Today, the work of Chickaloon Village Traditional Council’s Environmental Stewardship Department reflects these enduring relationships. Their efforts focus on protecting and restoring the land and waters, addressing the impacts of past development, and ensuring that future generations can continue to live in connection with their ancestral lands.