Lajat Interpretative Trail

There is a site on Scout Ridge in the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge  that holds deep significance for the Dena’ina and Ahtna people. The site is called Łajat. In the book Shem Pete’s Alaska: The Territory of the Upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina , Łajat—translated as “Silt Place” and formerly known as Cottonwood Village—is described as an old village. Shem Pete noted, “That was an old village. I think it was the first village [in this area] that went down [was depopulated].” Anthropologist Frederica de Laguna also documented that “at Cottonwood Creek, above Knik, there was an old village site on a high hill. Theodore of Eklutna told me this was both a summer and winter village.” Łajat is considered one of the oldest known villages along the Knik Arm , with 900 before present (BP) radiocarbon dates.

The working title for this effort is “Reawakening Łajat”. It is a collaborative project led by Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats (APH) in partnership with the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, Knik Tribal Council, Native Village of Eklutna, Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, Anchorage Museum, and the Alaska Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, with technical assistance from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program. The project has also received support from the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation,he Rasmuson Foundation, and Lotto Alaska

Łajat holds profound cultural significance for the Knik Tribal Council (Native Village of Knik), Native Village of Eklutna, and Chickaloon Village Traditional Council in Southcentral Alaska. Historically, it served as a hub for some of the region’s most important travel routes, including what later became the Iditarod Trail. Today, the area—commonly known as Scout Ridge—is part of the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, owned and managed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Project partners are working to develop a master site plan for a cultural education trail at Scout Ridge that will celebrate Łajat and carry its stories forward. Goals include creating educational opportunities for Indigenous youth, families, and visitors, and field trip opportunities for students in the local public school district. The trail will highlight stories and traditional practices that provide a meaningful window into a place people called home for millennia, while also improving accessibility, visitor experience, safety, and protection of sensitive cultural and natural sites. Together, the partners aim to inspire pride in Indigenous youth, educate visitors about the land’s history and Dena’ina and Ahtna values, and create spaces for reflection and healing.

Working groups developed recommendations for interpretation, educational programming, and trail improvements, guided by a shared commitment to honor and celebrate Alaska Native culture and the descendants of Łajat who wish to share the stories and lessons of this place for the benefit of the broader community.

The Scout Ridge Trail is currently a rudimentary, roughly one-mile loop that follows a bluff overlooking Cottonwood Creek and the Knik Arm, a shallow glacial estuary. Despite the site’s immense cultural significance, there is currently no visible acknowledgment of the Dene people known as the Upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina —the first people of this land. This is an opportunity to increase Indigenous educational resources, while honoring culture and history.