Project Jukebox Survey
Help us redesign the Project Jukebox website by taking a very short survey!
Joe Beetus, Interview 2
Joe Beetus was interviewed in February 2004 by Eric Mack in Hughes, Alaska for the Raven's Story radio series on KIYU-AM public radio station in Galena, Alaska. In this interview, Joe talks about the history of the Koyukuk River area, including early settlements, the 1918 flu epidemic, dogteam mail delivery, and stores in Allakaket and Alatna. He then provides an overview of his life and living a traditional subsistence lifestyle mixed with working in mines, cutting wood for the river steamboats, and operating heavy equipment. He also talks about learning to hunt, traditional beliefs about animals like porcupine, dealing with cold weather, trapping, and changes he's observed in the salmon and caribou populations.
The interview was edited and produced by Clinton Brown.
See also:
Digital Asset Information
Archive #: Oral History 2004-01-27
Project: Raven's Story
Date of Interview: Feb 1, 2004
Narrator(s): Joe Beetus
Interviewer(s): Eric Mack
Location of Interview:
Funding Partners:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Parts:
Alternate Transcripts
There is no alternate transcript for this interview.
Themes
1918 Flu Epidemic, Alaska Natives, Caribou, Changes in Fish Populations, Changes in Wildlife Populations, Childhood Memories, Cold Weather, Cutting Wood, Dangerous Ice, Disease, Dog Mushing, Fish, General Store, Heavy Equipment, History, Hunting, Jobs, Mail Delivery, Mining, Native Clothing, Porcupine, Salmon, School, Steamship, Storytelling, Subsistence, Supplies, Traditional Beliefs, Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Skills, Trapping, Travel, Village
After clicking play, click on a section to navigate the audio or video clip.
Sections
1) Early Settlements on the Koyukuk River (4:12)
2) Flu Epidemic in Allakaket (2:44)
3) Dog Team Mail Routes in the 1920's (2:37)
4) Mail Run to the Upper Koyukuk During Freeze-Up (3:35)
5) Stores at Allakaket and Alatna in the 1920's (3:30)
6) Missing School Growing Up (3:09)
7) Hunting with Johnny Oldman (3:21)
8) Eskimo Belief about Porcupine (4:02)
9) Cold Weather and Clothing (2:45)
10) Moving to Hughes and Working in Mines (2:48)
11) Cutting Steamboat Wood (2:36)
12) Salmon and Caribou Population (3:05)
13) Lost a D-6 Through the Ice (4:21)
14) Making a Living (2:53)
15) Trapping Alone (3:17)
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.