Ch’atanaltsegh (Fish Creek) Indigenous Place Name Celebration

 Join us on August 27 from 5 pm to 7 pm for a special celebration along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail at Fish Creek.

Ch’atanaltsegh is the Dena’ina word for Fish Creek, and it means “where yellow water comes out”
Pronounced Cha Ta Nul Souk

More than a dedication ceremony, this event is designed to celebrate the living relationship between people, place, language, and the Fish Creek watershed.

The celebration will begin at Lyn Ary Park at 5pm, where community members will gather for music, art, and a festive procession. Participants will then travel together along the Fish Creek Trail to the new plaza, creating a moving celebration of the creek and the Indigenous stories that have shaped this place for generations. At the plaza, the community will gather for the official dedication, cultural presentations, and a blessing of the new Indigenous Place Name monument before returning to Lyn Ary Park for continued festivities, performances, food, and community activities.

Art is central to bringing this vision to life. We invite artists to help transform the procession into an immersive celebration of Fish Creek’s living ecosystem and cultural significance. Parade elements, large-scale sculptures, masks, puppets, decorated bicycles and mobility devices, music, and interactive art are encouraged. Inspiration can be drawn from the plants, fish, birds, and animals that call the fish creek estuary home—including salmon, sandhill cranes, ravens, orcas, and other beings whose stories are woven into this landscape.

This event invites the community to experience Fish Creek in a new way, through Indigenous language, culture, art, and shared stewardship. Our hope is that everyone who participates leaves with a deeper understanding that place names are more than words on a map; they carry stories, history, identity, and our collective responsibility to care for the places we call home.