Project Jukebox Survey
Help us redesign the Project Jukebox website by taking a very short survey!
Gil Truitt
, 
Gil Truitt was interviewed on December 8, 1998 by Karen Brewster and Kristen Griffin at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska office in Sitka, Alaska. Mr. Truitt is a proud man with a pleasant demeanor who is mindful of proper Tlingit behavior, so carries himself in an almost formal manner. After a long career as a teacher and coach at Mount Edgecumbe High School, he is comfortable with public speaking in the interview context, and communicates his thoughts in a clear, straightforward manner. In this interview, Gil talks about his childhood in the Cottages Community neighboring Sitka National Historical Park and his relationship with the Park. He mentions individuals who influenced his life, like Mrs. Don Cameron, the role of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, education, sports and music at the Cottages, and his own education and career development. He also discusses fishing at Indian River in the Park when he was a boy, tourism, and teaching cultural values.
Digital Asset Information
Archive #: Oral History 98-39-03
Project: Sitka National Historical Park
Date of Interview: Dec 8, 1998
Narrator(s): Gil Truitt
Interviewer(s): Karen Brewster, Kristen Griffin
Location of Interview:
Funding Partners:
National Park Service
Alternate Transcripts
There is no alternate transcript for this interview.
Themes
Alaska Native Brotherhood, Alaska Natives, Alcohol, Arts and Crafts, Basketball, Changes in River Channel, Childhood Memories, Community Changes, Community Organization, Community Relationships, Cottage Community, Deer, Education, Fishing, Flood, History, Hunting, Military, Music, National Park Service, Native Culture, Native Language, Resource Use, Salmon, Sense of Place, Sheldon Jackson School, Storytelling, Subsistence, Teacher, Tlingit, Tourism, Traditional Knowledge, Village, Women, Work
After clicking play, click on a section to navigate the audio or video clip.
Sections
1) Kristen Griffin introduces the project and the purpose of the interview
2) Growing up in the Cottage Community which bordered Sitka National Historical Park
3) Life in the Cottage Community and people's subsistence use of the Park area
4) Tlingit people's subsistence use of the Park and their deeper ties to the place
5) Learning from his grandmother and how education was stressed in the Cottages
6) Sitka's early educational system
7) His own educational background
8) His work experience as a teacher and coach
9) His years teaching and coaching adminstrator, and his interest in the history of basketball in Southeastern Alaska
10) The role of music in the Cottage Community, and culture change he has seen
11) The layout of and life in the Cottage Community
12) Collecting salmon at the Indian River in the Park when he was a boy and how the river has changed
13) Social activities in the Cottage Community and names of some of the community's residents
14) The Cottages history and its role in the development of local organizations
15) Women's activities at the Cottages, and the role of Sheldon Jackson School
16) The relationship between Sheldon Jackson School, the Cottages, and living a "clean" life
17) Troubles with alcohol in the community, and the relationship between the Cottages and local social and political organizations
18) The role of Cottage residents in developing local organizations continued
19) The history of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, and differences between the Cottages and the Tlingit village in Sitka
20) The role of the church in Sitka, and the importance of the Park to Sitka Kiks.aacute;di clan members
21) Kiks.aacute;di connections to the Park
22) Changes in the Park and its influence on Sitka
23) People selling Native arts and crafts to tourists at the Park, and the influence of tourist art on Tlingit culture
24) The history of the Alaska Native Brotherhood in Sitka
25) Growing up in the Cottages in such close proximity to Sheldon Jackson School
26) Life in the Cottage Community
27) Differences between the Cottages and the village, and influence of the military in Sitka
28) Basketball, relations with the military, and bonding created by sports
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: Sitka National Historical Park/ Sitka Tribe of Alaska/ University of Alaska Fairbanks/ Sitka/ Cottages|
Section 2: Sitka/ Cottage Community/ growing up/ Truitt, Gil -- mother/ James, Dorothy/ Truitt, Gil -- father/ Truitt, Joseph/ Truitt, Gil -- grandmother/ Katlian, Pauline/ family heritage/ punctuality -- importance of/ Sitka/ Totem Park/ Indian River/ Cottages -- history| Click here for image.
Section 3: Indian River: catching salmon Truitt, Gil -- grandfather/ James, Albert/ Cottages -- construction of/ Cottages -- history/ Simpson, Peter/ boatshop -- Peter Simpson's/ Totem Park/ subsistence/ herring -- eggs/ Indian River/ food -- gathering/ Sheldon Jackson School -- respect for/ smelt -- use of before his time|
Section 4: subsistence/ hunting -- deer/ deer -- scarcity of/ Truitt, Gil -- grandmother/ Cameron, Mrs. Don/ Thorton, Tom/ cultural research/ language -- Tlingit/ Kiks.ádi/ family history/ Russians/ battle|
Section 5: Truitt, Gil -- grandmother/ Cameron, Mrs. Don/ storytelling/ Cottages/ traditional knowledge -- lack of/ language -- Tlingit/ Simpson, Peter/ education -- importance of/ salvation/ culture|
Section 6: education/ school/ Sitka/ Bureau of Indian Affairs/ teachers/ teachers -- Native|
Section 7: college/ Harding University/ Arkansas/ Mount Edgecumbe School/ teacher/ Arizona State University/ family/ education|
Section 8: Sheldon Jackson School/ Wrangell Institute/ Ora Kuykendall, Oregon/ Mount Edgecumbe School -- opening/ coaching/ Alaska Native sports/ basketball|
Section 9: coaching/ teaching -- challenges of/ basketball/ Southeast Alaska/ basketball -- history of/ Cottages/ Cottage Hall/ Truitt, Gil -- mother/ music/ musicians|
Section 10: James family/ musicians/ alcoholism/ music -- disappearance of/ Hays, Ellen Hope/ Cottage Hall/ Cottages -- map of/ Simpson, Peter/ young people -- interest in/ Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act| Click here for image.
Section 11: Simpson, Peter/ Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Indian River/ foot trail/ Sheldon Jackson School/ smoke houses/ berries -- salmonberries/ salmon -- smoking/ baseball/ Visitor Center -- location of| Click here for image.
Section 12: Indian River/ fish -- Pink Salmon/ fishing/ fish -- disappearance/ military/ flood -- 1942|
Section 13: Cottage Hall/ Sitka Historical Society/ band concerts/ banquets/ Christmas/ family history/ Howard, George/ Simpson, Mary/ Sloan, Lilly/ Hearst, Bernard/ Hearst Chichigof Mine/ Sitka/ Portland|
Section 14: DeArmond, Bob/ Hearst family/ Cottage Hall -- use of/ basketball/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Jackson, Sheldon/ Simpson, Peter/ Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall/ Littlefield, Esther/ American Legion|
Section 15: Cottages -- women/ basketball -- women/ Sheldon Jackson School/ Presbyterian Church/ Cottage Hall -- disappearance/ Brady, Isabella/ Hope, John|
Section 16: dances/ Sheldon Jackson School/ Cottage Hall - closing of/ Hope, John/ Mission/ control -- social/ change -- social/ Cottages -- concept of/ alcohol -- use of|
Section 17: alcoholism/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ judicial system/ Presbyterian rule|
Section 18: Cottage Community/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Sheldon Jackson School/ Simpson, Peter -- influence on/ education/ "Native state"/ preamble| Click here for image.
Section 19: preamble -- intentions/ Cottages/ Simpson, Peter/ Young, Ralph/ Price, Frank/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Newell, John/ education/ village -- separation of|
Section 20: Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall -- location of/ Mission/ Presbyterian Church/ Orthodox Church/ Katlian/ Kiks.ádi/ memorials/ Totem Park/ battle/ Russians|
Section 21: Kiks.ádi/ Truitt, Gil -- great-grandmother/ Cameron, Mrs. Don/ Totem Park/ songs/ Hope, John/ memorials/ World War II|
Section 22: flood/ bridge -- loss of/ Cottage Community/ employment -- variety/ entrepreneurs/ tourists/ Totem Park/ fishing -- salmon/ carpenter/ Price, Frank/ Young, Ralph/ boat builder/ Simpson, Peter/ Newell, John|
Section 23: entrepreneurs/ Village/ Kelly Street/ Cook, Mrs./ Shotridge, Louis/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ culture -- suppression of/ Hoonah/ Kake/ tourist trade|
Section 24: Hope, John/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Young, Ralph/ Native dancing -- lack of/ education -- emphasis on/ Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall -- historical landmark/ National Park Service/ Sheldon Jackson College/ Mount Edgecumbe School|
Section 25: Cottage Community/ growing up/ Sheldon Jackson School/ campus -- beauty of/ baseball/ basketball/ Weeks, Ralph -- coach/ Yaw, Leslie/ activities -- feeling welcome/ Wooster, Roland/ friendship -- lasting/ students -- influence of|
Section 26: Cottages -- loyalty to/ poverty/ food -- lack of/ subsistence -- importance of|
Section 27: Hays, Ellen Hope/ Cottage Community/ village -- differences with/ Totem Park/ Sheldon Jackson School/ Indian River/ Sunday School/ Dietrich, Herb/ life -- reflection on/ military/ Servicemen -- respect for|
Section 28: New York City/ Connecticut/ Final Four Basketball Tournament/ University of Connecticut/ military team -- fondness of/ basketball/ Mount Edgecumbe School/ activities -- lack of support|