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Albert Wassillie Sr.
Albert Wassillie Sr.

Albert Wassillie, Sr. was interviewed on July 19,1985 by Priscilla Russell in Nondalton, Alaska. In this interview, Albert talks about living off the land by traveling the country to seasonal campsites, the early days in the village, the first trading post, and why the old village of Nondalton was abandoned. He also discusses the relationship and trading between Dena'ina and Yup'ik (Dutna) people. (Please note that Pete Koktelash was also interviewed on this tape, but his portion is not included here.)

Digital Asset Information

Archive #: Oral History 98-27-06

Project: Lake Clark National Park
Date of Interview: Jul 19, 1985
Narrator(s): Albert Wassillie Sr.
Interviewer(s): Priscilla Russell
Location of Interview:
Funding Partners:
National Park Service
Alternate Transcripts
There is no alternate transcript for this interview.
Slideshow
There is no slideshow for this person.

After clicking play, click on a section to navigate the audio or video clip.

Sections

1) Camping and traveling in the Nondalton area

2) Camping and traveling with his parents

3) Travel to seasonal camping sites

4) Trade interaction between Dena'ina and Yup'ik people

5) Games and trading between Yup'ik and Dena'ina people

6) The decline in the amount of camping and trade with Yup'ik people

7) Camping and traveling by himself

8) Camping and fishing with his family and by himself

9) Fishing and trading in the Nondalton area

10) Old Nondalton village and its first trading post

11) Nondalton's trading post and the trader getting rich

12) Why Old Nondalton was abandoned

13) Traveling with his father and by himself in the Nondalton area

14) His knowledge of the area and trade between Yup'ik and Dena'ina people

15) The relationship between Dutna and Dena'ina people

16) Communication between Dutna and Dena'ina people

Click play, then use Sections or Transcript to navigate the interview.

After clicking play, click a section of the transcript to navigate the audio or video clip.

Transcript

Section 1: Old Nondalton\ Chulitna Flats\ Dena'ina place names\ camping -- Spring\ fish -- trout\ fishing -- net\ fish -- dog food\ trapping -- beaver\ trapping -- muskrat\ boats -- canoe\ canoe -- canvas\ canoe -- mooseskin\ birds -- ducks\ birds -- geese|

Section 2: camping -- frequency\ Wassillie, Albert -- parents\ Whitefish Slough\ Dena'ina place names\ camping -- seasonal\ fishing\ steam bath\ Chulitna Flats\ tent\ hunting -- moose|

Section 3: camping\ boats -- canoe\ hunting -- muskrat\ Chulitna Flats\ camp -- location\ Koktuli\ Mount Chulitna\ travel -- Spring\ boats -- crude\ boats -- niggiday|

Section 4: Indian Point\ Dena'ina place names\ people -- Newhalen\ boats -- crude\ people -- Yup'ik\ trade -- goods\ people -- Dutna\ food -- drying\ nivagi\ grass -- longblade|

Section 5: Chulitna River\ plants -- wild onion\ cooking\ beaver -- drying\ birds -- ducks\ games\ games -- gambling\ boats -- crude\ Newhalen -- people\ Lake Clark\ Long Lake\ Mulchatna\ Nikabuna|

Section 6: Dena'ina place names\ Last Canyon\ Whitefish Lake\ trade -- end of\ Alaska State Department of Fish and Game\ jobs\ camp -- Spring\ students -- high school\ Mulchatna River\ camping|

Section 7: Chilchitna\ trapping\ tools -- swede saw\ snowshoes\ tent\ caribou\ moose\ travel\ camping -- duration\ trapping -- beaver\ pilot\ Trefon, Henry|

Section 8: Trefon, Harry\ meat -- beaver\ Pickerel Lakes\ Dena'ina place names\ fish -- grayling\ travel -- dogs|

Section 9: Pickerel Lakes\ fish -- grayling\ fishing -- Fall\ Kijik\ Trefon, Martha\ fish camp -- location\ fishing -- net\ Kijik -- relocation\ fish -- salmon\ Iliamna Bay\ Tanalian\ trade -- goods\ coffee\ tea|

Section 10: Kijik\ village -- relocation\ Old Nondalton\ trade goods -- purchase of\ Iliamna Bay\ Iliamna\ trading post\ gold miner\ cache\ Nondalton\ trading post -- first|

Section 11: trader -- success\ supplies -- hauling\ Iliamna\ boats\ freighting\ Bristol Bay\ Iliamna Bay\ Seversen, Hans\ Old Nondalton\ Balluta, Harry -- father\ gold -- trade for\ ammunition\ Natives\ furs\ wealth|

Section 12: Old Nondalton\ village -- relocation\ Kokhanok\ sand\ seepage\ games -- baseball|

Section 13: Eagle Bay\ Wassillie, Albert -- father\ family -- visits\ Sava, Pete\ Talarik Creek\ Tazimina\ Koktuli\ hunting\ fishing -- trout\ travel|

Section 14: mountains -- hiking\ rocks -- quartz\ Hobson, Steve Jr.\ qunsha\ hunting -- squirrel\ squirrel -- cooking\ trade -- Yup'ik\ trade -- Dena'ina\ wolverine\ furs -- value|

Section 15: relations -- Dena'ina\ relations -- Dutna\ Christmas\ Bristol Bay\ boats -- fishing\ boats -- sail\ Kijik River\ gambling\ Kokhanok\ Newhalen\ gambling -- stakes\ race -- dog team\ religion -- effects of|

Section 16: Kokhanok\ communication\ Chulitna\ language -- Dutna\ language -- Dena'ina\ Newhalen\ Naknek\ inter-marriage\ Balluta, Wassie|