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Evan Chukwak

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 fishing commercially. In 1951, Evan married his wife, Olga, and they lived on the Branch River until 1958 when they had to move into Levelock so their children could attend school. Evan spent much of his life out in the country, hunting, trapping and fishing, and wanted to be sure to pass on this knowledge and these skills to his children and grandchildren. Evan Chukwak passed away at age 74 on September 8, 2003.