Christopher Koonooka (Petuwaq)
St. Lawrence Island Yupik
Publication: Ungipaghaghlanga: Let me Tell
A Story
Quutmiit
Yupigita Ungipaghaatangit
Legends of the Siberian Eskimos
Published by the Alaska
Native Language Center
University of Alaska, Fairbanks,
Alaska
2003
This book is written in Siberian Yupik and English. Christopher
Koonooka did a lot of work to transliterate the work of
the late Georgiy A. Menovshchikov, a Russian educator and
linguist. There are six storytellers from the Chukotkan
side of the Bering Strait that are featured.
Katherine Wickersham Wade
CIRI Region, Chickaloon
Village
Publication: Chickaloon Spirit
Published by the Athabascan
Nation of Chickaloon
Chickaloon Village Traditional Council
2004
Katherine Wade's life intercepts a whole lot of lives
and a whole lot of history in the Matanuska River Valley.
Through this gift of her stories, her memories, her sense
of humor despite tragedy, resilience despite setbacks,
we learn some larger messages. We learn about mining history,
railroad history, a bit of colony history and highway history.
We learn about the adventures and misadventures this remarkable
woman had in Chickaloon, Sutton, Palmer, Wasilla and Anchorage.
We learn what it was like to be a half-breed-not enough
Indian to be fully accepted by some of her Interior Indian
Ahtna relatives, and not quite white enough for some folks
who came to the Valley. Through Katie's narrative we become
more fully aware of the shock of racist encounters, combined
with a sense of awe of her sense of humor and resilience
in face of it all.
Katherine Wickersham Wade is 81 years old. She was born
up the Chickaloon River. Katherine's aunts and grandmother
delivered her. She has one older sister.
Katherine Peter
Gwich'in Athabascan
Publication: Neets'aii Gwiindaii: Living
in the Chandalar Country
Published by the Alaska Native Language Center
University
of Alaska Fairbanks
1st Edition 1992, 2nd 1993, 3rd 2001
Katherine Peter is a well-known Gwich'in linguist in Interior
Alaska. She first worked as a school teacher in Arctic
Village in the early 1940s. She continued her position
as a schoolteacher in Fort Yukon in 1956 and 1957. She
worked at the Alaska Native Language Center in Fairbanks
from 1973-1980 teaching the Gwich'in language at the university
level-the first time that Native language was ever taught
at a university. She also transcribed and composed what
is by far the largest and most important body of Gwich'in
writing in this century. The more than one hundred works
include many published schoolbooks; a school dictionary;
volume of stories, narrative, and legends; editions of
texts told to Edward Sapir in 1923 by John Fredson; Dinjii
Zhuu Gwandak, Khehkwaii Zheh Gwiich'i': Living in the Chief's
House; and many files of transcriptions from about twenty-eight
Gwich'in storytellers.
Katherine was born in Stevens Village on the Yukon River
in 1918. After her parents passed away at an early age
she was adopted by a leading family in Fort Yukon, that
of Chief Esias Loola. She spoke Koyukon Athabascan at the
time and at Fort Yukon she quickly learned Gwich'in, which
replaced Koyukon as her first language. Katherine was raised
and educated in a very strong and rich Gwich'in cultural
life. She also periodically attended the one-room Bureau
of Indian Affairs school at Fort Yukon where she learned
English language and literacy. In 1936 Katherine married
Steven Peter and moved to Arctic Village. She worked for
a brief time in Arctic Village and Fort Yukon as a schoolteacher.
In 1960 she moved to Fort Yukon to raise and educate her
children. In 1970 she moved to Fairbanks where she worked
at the Alaska Native Language Programs from 1973-1980.
She retired from the center in 1980, but continues her
involvement with her language work, including transcription
and translation of the memoirs of Belle Herbert (Shandaa/In
My Lifetime, Alaska Native Language Center 1982); the texts
of another dozen schoolbooks for the Yukon Flats School
District in 1983; Chandalar area place-names survey with
Rick Caulfield; and editorial, grammatical, and dictionary
work for the Alaska Native Language Center.
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Alisha Drabek
Alutiiq/Native Village of Afognak
Publication: The Red Cedar of Afognak: A Driftwind
Journey
Published by the Native Village of Afognak
2004
Alisha Drabek is a dedicated individual with a deep sense
of connection to Kodiak and its surrounding islands and her
people. Throughout her life she has utilized her talents
of writing, communicating and facilitating to bring people
together, share a wealth of learned knowledge and work towards
what is good for all of Kodiak's people. Writing is her passion-she
has authored many grants that have brought hundreds of thousands
of dollars to organizations and institutions throughout the
region. Her real desire has been to write stories-The Red
Cedar of Afognak, co-authored by Alisha and Dr. Karen Adams,
and illustrated by Gloria Selby, is only the first story
of what I am sure will be many! She is a talented writer,
a dedicated educator, and a wonderful human who works endlessly
to share what she has learned through personal experience
and from her Elders in a way that brings respect and honor
to the Alutiiq people.
Alisha Drabek is an associate professor
of English at Kodiak College who was born and raised in
Kodiak. She has an English and American Literature degree
and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, both from
the University of Arizona in Tucson. A former tribal administrator
for the Native Village of Afognak, who also is the founding
coordinator of Kodiak's "Esgahluku
Taquka'aq"-"Awakening Bear"-a cultural celebration,
she is proud to have returned to her home island to work
with other Alutiiq people to preserve and honor the Alutiiq
culture and heritage. Alisha is currently working as an apprentice
with an Alutiiq speaking master teacher, and is a member
of the Native Educators of the Alutiiq Region in Kodiak.
She is married to Helm Johnson and has two sons.
Kaayistaan Marie Olson
Wooshkeetaan clan, Eagle Moiety of Aak'w kwaan
Publication: Tlingit Coloring Book
Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants, Vol I and II: Alaska, Canada & Pacific
Northwest Rainforest
Author: Carol R. Biggs
Published by Carol Biggs Alaska Nature Connection
January 1999
Marie Olson of the Eagle Moiety Wooshkeetaan Clan of Auke
Bay, Alaska, provided Tlingit names and usage for a number
of plants in this booklet. With permission, the author included
available Tlingit plant names in recognition and honor of
indigenous cultures everywhere who have given the world valuable
knowledge.
Marie has represented Southeast Alaska as an Elder, a member
of the Southeast Tribal College Board of Trustees, and as
UAF faculty. Not only does Marie work in the area of education,
she is also president of Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp #2.
Her previous work includes being an Elder in Resident for
the Juneau School District. She shares her love of art, writing
and gardening in the book Tlingit Coloring Book. Marie is
widely respected for her knowledge of the Tlingit language,
culture and history.
Marie Olson was born in Juneau and in her earlier years
spoke only Tlingit. She is a member of the Wooshkeetaan Eagle
clan of Aak'w kwaan and her Tlingit name is Kaayistaan which
was the name of her maternal grandmother. Marie attended
school in Juneau, Seattle, and San Francisco. After raising
a family and working in Native American projects in the San
Francisco area, she returned to school and graduated from
UAS.
Rita Pitka-Blumenstein
Calista Region Yup'ik
Publication: Earth Dyes:
Nuunam Qaralirkai
Published by the Institute of Alaska Native Arts
1983
Rita has made an impact in the lives of many people whether
indigenous or coming from different countries as well as
around the State, especially in her wellness program. She
is a traditional healer. Her book contributes seeing her
cultural knowledge about her own experience growing up in
the village not just through stories but also through her
real life experience.
Rita was born on a fishing boat on the ocean near Tununak
in Western Alaska. Her upbringing is in the village of Tununak,
Alaska. Throughout her life she learned from her mother to
subsist and gather food and learned to use resources from
the environment for arts and crafts. The skill of learning
to sew is an essential part of her culture in order to make
a living or meet the needs of survival. She is an expert
Yup'ik basketmaker. Rita is of Yup'ik, Athabascan, Aleut
and Russian ancestry. Rita is also talented in other areas.
Rita now resides in Anchorage working for Southcentral Foundation
as a traditional healer, a tribal doctor. Rita has helped
many people with their ailments.
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