Dallia Gregory Andrew is a Yup'ik elder from Igiugig, Alaska. She grew up as one of thirteen children in her family living at Kukaklek Lake where her  father, Alex Gregory, was a reindeer herder, and on the Kvichak and Alagnak Rivers. In those days, people moved around a lot following the resources by season. She grew up at various camps hunting, fishing, trapping, and berry picking. In later years, Dallia's father went commercial fishing in Bristol Bay to earn money to support the family,... Read More

Gregory Andrew is a Yup'k elder from Kokhanok, Alaska who grew up in Newhalen, Alaska living a subsistence lifestyle where his family hunted, fished, and trapped to sustain themselves. His mother died when he was eight years old, so he spent a number of years in a childrens' home before returning to Newhalen, until he got married to his wife, Francine, and moved to her home village of Kokhanok. Gregory has been a successful hunter and trapper in the Lake Iliamna region, with extensive... Read More

Mike Andrew, Sr. (Temquq) was a Yup'ik elder born to Anna and Alex Panelek in 1935 and raised the Alagank River (also known as Branch River). Prior to moving to the Alagank River, Mike's father had been a reindeer herder at Big Mountain. Mike was the youngest of fifteen children, and was raised to surive by trapping beaver, otter, muskrat and fox, and by hunting moose and caribou.  As a boy, his mother taught him how to use a snare to catch rabbits, which often provided a stable food supply... Read More

Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr. is a Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) elder from South Naknek, Alaska. His parents were Vera and Trefon Angasan, Sr., who was a survivor of the 1912 volcanic eruption of Mt. Katmai after which he and his family fled from their home village of Savonoski to to a location they named New Savonoski, and eventually to South Naknek. Mary Jane Nielsen is Ted's younger sister. Ted... Read More

Evan Chukwak was a Yup'ik elder who was born in 1929 in Kokhanok, Alaska and moved to Levelock in 1943. He grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle, and his grandfather was a strong influence who taught him traditional skills and values. His grandfather's stories helped Evan prepare for environmental and cultural changes that were coming in the future, including his prediction of the coming of starvation times. Evan started working at Diamond J Cannery in 1947 and in 1948 started... Read More

Ted Melgenak is a Suqpiag (Alutiiq) elder from South Naknek, Alaska. He was born in 1937, and Pelagia Melgenak (whom he calls "Old Lady Gramma") and her husband, One-Arm Nick Melgenak, adopted him as a toddler after his mother died and raised him as their youngest child. Pelagia and Nick taught Teddy how to live a traditional subsistence lifestyle, which included learning how to hunt, fish, trap and harvest and use plants. Teddy worked for the National Park Service at Katmai National Park... Read More

Mary Nelson was a Yup'ik elder from Kokhanok, Alaska. She was born in Kokhanok in 1938 to Mike and Mary Newyaka, who were some of the earliest residents in the community. Mary grew up in the village and spend summers at fish camp along the beach below Kokhanok. She lived a subsistence lifestyle relying on fishing, hunting and trapping, learned to prepare food, sew, and take care of a household from her mother, and attended a few years of school in Newhalen. She spent her life continuing the... Read More

Anesia Newyaka is a Yup'k elder from Kokhanok, Alaska. She was born in Newhalen, Alaska in 1941 to Mary and Mike Newyaka, who soon moved their family to Kokhanok. Her father was chief of the village and she grew up living a subsistence lifestyle, with her father doing a lot of trapping, hunting, and fishing, and the women picking berries and preparing food. Anesia worked as a school cook for eighteen years, and is a devout member of the local Russian Orthodox church.

Mary Jane Nielsen is a Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) elder from South Naknek, Alaska. Her parents were Vera and Trefon Angasan, Sr., who was a survivor of the 1912 volcanic eruption of Mt. Katmai after which he and his family fled from their home village of Savonoski to to a location they named New Savonoski, and eventually to South Naknek. As a founding member of the Council of Katmai Descendants, Mary Jane is personally and professionally interested in preserving information and practices of her... Read More

Nick Nowatok was a Yup'ik elder who was born in Kaskanak, Alaska in 1912 and grew up in the Kvichak area. He was a reindeer herder and moved to Kokhanok in the 1940s after he got married. He made a living through trapping, commercial fishing, and working a variety of labor jobs. He also supported his family with a subsistence-based lifestyle of hunting, fishing and trapping for personal use. Nick Nowatak passed away in 2002 at the age of 90.

Mary Ann Olympic was a Yup'ik elder who was born in a reindeer herding camp at Kukaklek Lake in 1931. Her father was a reindeer herder originally from Alagnak who moved to Kukaklek Lake in 1906, and married Mary Ann's mother in 1926. She grew up a subsistence lifestyle, where the family moved around seasonally according to where resources were available. For example, in the springtime her mother would hunt ground squirrels, and in the summer her father hunted brown bear and moose. And she... Read More

Originally from Penfield, New York, Dan Salmon moved to Alaska in 1983 to attend the University of Alaska, Fairbanks where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology. He discovered Igiugig when he was stationed on the Kvichak River while working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He spent the winter of 1984 trapping along the Kvichak River and learning the subsistence lifestyle, and in 1985 married an Igiugig Native, Julia Olympic, and began raising a family. Dan dedicated the next... Read More

Alex Tallekpalek is a Yup'ik elder who was born on Coffee Creek and raised in Levelock, Alaska by his adopted parents, Effie and Lawrence Tallekpalek. He was also raised by his grandfather, Ivan Tallekpalek, from whom he learned traditional skills of living off the land and relying on careful observation. Alex uses the Yup'ik spelling of his name, and continues to follow his Yup'ik cultural traditions and practices. As a culture bearer, Alex has a vast collection of Yup'ik artifacts in his... Read More

Mary Tallekpalek was a Yup'ik elder born at Big Mountain in the Lake Iliamna region of Alaska. Her father was a reindeer herder so the family traveled around to various camps following the herds and practicing a subsistence-based lifestyle. Mary lived on the Branch River where she fished and went berry picking in the summer and trapped in the winter, and, eventually, she and her husband, John, moved into Levelock. Mary also was an accomplished seamstress, having learned to sew from her... Read More

George Wilson, Jr. was born to Anne and George Wilson, Sr. and grew up in Igiugig, Alaska. He has lived a subsistence-based lifestyle his entire life, learning to hunt, fish and trap at an early age from his father. By the time George was fourteen years old, he was going hunting and trapping on his own. He is an experienced outdoorsman who is familiar with the local resources and trails, and has spent a lot of time out in the country around Lake Iliamna. George witnessed the introduction of... Read More