Recordings from the first meeting of the Ethnobotany Elders Council held on May 5 and 6, 2008 at the Kuskokwim Campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Bethel, Alaska.
The Elders Council was comprised of Yup'ik Elders from villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta who came together to discuss traditional Yup'ik plant knowledge. They provide the Yup'ik names for plants and discuss their various traditional uses, including as food and for healing and medicinal purposes. Information from this meeting was incorporated into "A Guide to the Ethnobotany of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region" edited by Kevin Jernigan, with assistance from Oscar Alexie, Sophie Alexie, Michelle Stover, Rose Meier, Carolyn Parker, Mary Pete, Memmi Rasmussen, Rose Domnick, and Alice Fredson.
The conversation is mostly in Yup'ik. Translated notes from the recording are available as a PDF, but at this time a complete translation of the gathering is not available.
Watch video of the session:
Part 1
Part 2
The following Elders participated:
 Mary Active (Togiak) |
 Anna Alexie (Bethel) |
 Cecelia Andrew (Chevak) |
 Annie Blue (Togiak) |
 Julia Brown (Kongiganak) |
 Ruthann Elia (St. Mary's) |
 Mary Gregory (Bethel) |
 Pauline Hunt (Kotlik) |
 Lena Long (St. Mary's) |
 Modesta Myers (Pilot Station) |
 Tim Myers (Pilot Station) |
 Thecla Paul (Pilot Station) |
Organizers/facilitators included: Mary Pete, Kevin Jernigan, Rose Meier, Sophie Alexie, Oscar Alexie, and Carolyn Parker. All photographs were taken by Caroline Sanders.