Project Jukebox Survey

Help us redesign the Project Jukebox website by taking a very short survey!

Avis Sam

Avis Sam is an Upper Tanana Athabascan elder from Northway, Alaska. She grew up living a subsistence lifestyle where she and her sister had to work hard to help chop and carry firewood. She is an expert beader, seamstress, and birch bark basket maker. As a speaker of her Native language, she has helped to document and teach others the language. She is married to Roy Sam, and raised a family mostly from subsistence harvested resources.

Avis Sam appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Wrangell-St.Elias National Park

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Roy and Avis Sam	Roy and Avis Sam were interviewed on August 7, 2014 by Leslie McCartney and Barbara Cellarius at their home in Northway, Alaska. In this interview, Roy talks about growing up around Northway and his father's use of the surrounding area for hunting and trapping. He identifies a lot of locations, including their Native names. He also discusses his own trapping, fishing and hunting activities, and changes in the land, weather and animal populations he has witnessed. Roy's wife, Avis, participates in the interview as well, although she does not say much until part way into the interview. She did not want her photo taken. Avis talks about her childhood, hunting and fishing locations, and changes in the weather and life in the village.	2013-14-13	Wrangell-St.Elias National Park	Aug 7, 2014