Walter "Wally" Carlo

Wally Carlo is an Athabascan who was born in 1946 to Poldine and William Carlo in Tanana, Alaska, and grew up in Ruby, Galena, and Fairbanks. Despite living in the city and getting an education in business, Wally grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle based upon hunting, trapping and fishing. He learned how to travel and survive in the wilds of interior Alaska and to be a keen observer of the world around him. In fact, between 1969 and 1980, Wally lived in Tanana and hunted, fished and trapped to make a living. He has had a varied career with Native corporations, hospitality services, and as an equipment operator. In 1970, he was on a CAT train operated by his father that ran from Fairbanks to Livengood to Stevens Village to haul in supplies for mining, and he kept a journal of that and other trips. Wally later worked in the oil industry in the early days of exploration and development. He served 22 years as a board member for Doyon, Ltd., the Native corporation for interior Alaska, experiencing many of the corporation's ups and downs. He was also a trustee on the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Board for over 20 years, and was on the board of the Fairbanks Native Association. Since retiring in 2008, Wally once again spends a lot of time traveling the country in all seasons. He is especially well versed in winter river ice and travel conditions on the Tanana River near Fairbanks so participated in the March 23, 2011 Tanana River field trip for the Dangerous Ice Project.