FAIRBANKS -- Catherine Attla, an Athabascan elder, author and tradition bearer, has died at her home in Huslia.

Attla was born in 1927. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says she passed away early Monday evening.

Attla grew up speaking Koyukon Athabascan and learning traditional life skills from her grandparents, who adopted her as a baby. She was considered one of the most knowledgeable people about the Koyukon people's traditional ways and values, which she generously shared through example, teaching and writing.

Attla is author of several books and served as a valued and reliable resource for family, community members and researchers alike. Her health had been declining in the past year.