Which Alaska Native group has been in Alaska the longest, arriving about 14,000 years ago?

• A. Inupiat, 2,300 years ago.
• B. Athabascan, 14,000 years ago.
• C. Yupik, 3,000 years ago.
• D. Tlingit, 1,500 years ago.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is comparing long-term presence in Alaska based on when different groups first arrived. The Athabascans are described as arriving about 14,000 years ago, which is much earlier than the other groups listed (Inupiat around 2,300 years ago, Yupik about 3,000 years ago, and Tlingit around 1,500 years ago). Because their arrival time is the oldest, the Athabascans have the longest-standing history in Alaska among the options. This reflects how archaeology and linguistic history place interior Alaska’s Athabascan-speaking peoples as among the earliest inhabitants, with other groups arriving later in different regions of the state.