Simeon Kvasnikoff was interviewed on July 20, 1997 by Ron Stanek of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence in Port Graham, Alaska. In this interview, Simeon talks about his subsistence activities, including hunting, trapping, and fishing, and traveling around the area by boat and trails. He also discusses traditional shelters, survival techniques, use of different animals for food, and storytelling.
Digital Asset Information
Project: Nanwalek and Port Graham
Date of Interview: Jul 20, 1997
Narrator(s): Simeon Kvasnikoff
Interviewer(s): Ron Stanek
Themes
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Sections
1) Survival and use of shelter cabins when traveling
2) More about the use of shelter cabins when traveling
3) More about traveling and the use of trails
4) Traditional shelter
5) More about a traditional shelter
6) Trapping and traps
7) Telling a traditional story about Aleuts
8) Keeping warm inside a shelter
9) Making harpoons and spears
10) Current activities
11) Village housing
12) Importance of family
13) Hunting and use of different animals
14) Seal hunting and collecting wood
15) Making and use of fish spears
16) Fishing
17) Use of kayaks, and the banya (steambath)
18) More about the banya (steambath)
19) Preserving seal and fish
20) Traditional shelter (barabra), and cleaning and drying fish
21) Smoking and drying fish
22) Visiting in the steambath (banya)
23) Visiting at his mother's house
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Transcript
Section 1: shelter cabins -- built between communities/ trails/ Windy Bay/ Port Graham/ ways of staying warm/ supplies -- food/ weapons -- knives and guns|
Section 2: traveling -- long distance/ limbs and moss to build a shelter/ position of shelter/ deliver messages|
Section 3: trails/ skiff/ shelter along shoreline|
Section 4: different words/ Anderson Beach/ Chugach/ Windy Bay -- bigger shelter/ location -- good for food/ sign for muskok|
Section 5: location of muskok/ door/ fire/ convenient/ anafrax -- trap for animal|
Section 6: traps/ rabbits/ coyotes/ bears/ spring trap/ deadfall trap/ last long time/ upkeep/ hunting/ stories|
Section 7: storytelling/ kayaks/ Aleuts -- killing of/ grandfather left Cordova/ Aialik Bay|
Section 8: "dug-in"/ driftwood/ fire place/ oil lamp/ seal oil/ floors -- fur lined|
Section 9: waterproofing/ clay -- use of/ moss -- use of/ housing/ clothing -- fur/ weapons -- harpoons/ weapons -- spears/ hunting/ Eskimos/ Aleuts/ weapons -- Aleuts teaching Eskimos|
Section 10: travel/ clams/ hotel/ cabin/ Martha Ann/ life before kids|
Section 11: new home -- HUD house/ village council -- thirteen years/ teacher -- bilingual/ politics|
Section 12: village involvement/ family -- importance of/ children -- time with|
Section 13: hunting/ fresh food/ bear/ porcupine/ seal/ sea lion/ clams/ grouse/ rabbits|
Section 14: hunting -- men/ Tutka Bay/ seals/ picked what you wanted from seals on beach/ food -- sharing of/ chopping wood|
Section 15: fish -- spear making/ fish spear -- use of/ hooks|
Section 16: fishing/ current/ hook/ river -- flooding/ spear -- shallow water/ metal|
Section 17: kayaks/ cedar arrows/ seal fur/ banya (bath or sweat?)|
Section 18: wash back -- elders/ hot rock -- heated in barabra/ seal and bidarkies -- cooking of|
Section 19: moss -- use of/ hay -- use of/ gravel -- use of/ trees -- hanging seal meat from/ fish -- drying/ banya -- men and women|
Section 20: barabra/ Moonin, Dimitri/ fish -- cleaning/ fish -- drying|
Section 21: smokehouse -- use of/ fish -- drying on racks/ ciqluq/ camping/ banya|
Section 22: banya -- visiting/ storytelling/ table/ visitors/ tea drinking -- during banya|
Section 23: visiting/ Mom's table|