About Us

Serving God, Home and Country

The Sleeping Lady Chapter of the National Society for the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) was formed on December 10, 1980. We are a non-profit, non-political, volunteer women's service organization. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) members come from a variety of backgrounds and interests, but all share a common bond of having an ancestor who helped contribute to securing the independence of the United States of America. Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join. 

Originally, the Sleeping Lady Chapter, NSDAR, met in Eagle River, Alaska. In November 2019, the chapter officially moved to the Matanuska Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley and serves both Eagle River and the Mat-Su Valley. 

NSDAR

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR) is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization founded in 1890 by a small group of patriotic women. The DAR is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. 

Our Namesake

Our chapter is named after Mount Susitna in southcentral Alaska, known as the "Sleeping Lady". The folktale story of "Sleeping Lady" has been around since at least the 1930's. 

Our chapter would like to acknowledge that the mountain on which our name is based is part of the traditional lands of the Dena'ina people of Upper Cook Inlet. The Sleeping Lady Chapter, NSDAR, is committed to recognizing, honoring, and respecting all Indigenous people.

“Growing up in Anchorage, I wasn’t taught Dena’ina histories and there was virtually no recognition of Dena'ina placenames, even for well-known landmarks and geographic features in the city.

To many in southcentral Alaska, the most prominent mountain across Knik Arm is Mount Susitna, or the “Sleeping Lady.” Local legend says that the sleeping lady came from a race of giants. She laid down after her husband went to war, and she will supposedly awake when there are no more wars. This legend is often said to have Alaska Native origins, however, it appears to have been created by settlers in the 1930s as a quaint story to tell visitors and newly arrived locals. To the Dena'ina, Mount Susitna is known as Dghelishla, meaning “little mountain,” contrasting with another mountain on the horizon: Dghelay Ka'a, “Big Mountain,” or Denali.

Dghelishla was an important place for the Dena’ina. The western slopes of the mountain were a place of mourning to remember the departed. The mountain was also used as a prominent landmark to help guide the Dena'ina as they travelled throughout Upper Cook Inlet.

Fortunately, over the past decade or there has been an increasing interest in learning original Dena’ina names for these important places. I hope that when people look across the Inlet, they will also remember the name Dghelishla and think about my people and our history.”

Words by Aaron Leggett, Senior Curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Cultures at the Anchorage Museum. He shared this story during the Anchorage Museum exhibition Counter Cartographies: Living the Land, October 2021-October 2022.