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Anjuli Grantham
Anjuli Grantham is professionally-trained public historian and museum curator who has specialized in the history of Alaska fisheries and canneries. She has worked at the Baranov Museum in Kodiak, Alaska, for the Alaska State Legislature in Juneau, as the director of the Alaska Historic Canneries Intiative, and currently is collaborating on a book about the history of canneries in Southeast Alaska. She conducted some of the oral history interviews for the <NN> Cannery History Project Jukebox. For more about Anjuli Grantham and her projects, see her website: Salt and Gale.
As Interviewer
| Interview Title | Archive #: Oral History | Project | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Mavar | 2018-13-03 | NN Cannery History |
Nick Mavar was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Anacortes, Washington. In this interview, Nick talks about his career as a commercial fisherman in Bristol Bay, Alaska. He discusses fishing for canneries versus being an independent fisherman, what it was like living in a cannery bunkhouse and eating at their mess hall, how changes in processing techniques drove changes in fishing equipment, and how fishermen fought for and negotiated over the price of the fish harvested. |
| Mary Brown | 2018-13-01 | NN Cannery History |
Mary Brown was interviewed on June 11, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at the Bristol Bay Historical Society’s museum in Naknek, Alaska. In this interview, Mary talks about her experience working in various Alaska canneries starting in 1976, and most specifically about working at the <NN> Cannery at South Naknek, Alaska. She talks about the different types of jobs she did, including on the slime line, in the Egg House, in the office and the laundry, different types of workers and how they got along with each other, and segregation among the work force. She describes the cannery, including the mess hall, the bunkhouses, and the hospital. She also discusses the system of mail delivery, work hours, the local fishermen, the economics of the fishery and fish prices, and the shift in ownership from Alaska Packers Association (APA) to Trident Seafoods. |
| Wayne Matta | 2018-13-05 | NN Cannery History |
Wayne Matta was interviewed on August 10, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Maple Valley, Washington. In this interview, Wayne talks about his work as a maintenance machinist with Alaska Can Company and as a serviceman with Alaska General Seafoods (AGS) traveling to canneries around Alaska to repair their canning equipment and machinery. Wayne describes the process of making cans and canning salmon, including discussion of what each piece of machinery is used for. He clearly has a keen interest in the inner workings of the equipment, enjoyed the opportunity to travel to various canneries around Alaska, particularly Ketchikan, Kodiak Island, and Bristol Bay, and he liked the people he worked with. Wayne offers a rare insight into an aspect of the salmon canning industry that is rarely discussed, the importance of keeping the equipment well maintained and fully operational. |
| Oscar Penaranda | 2018-13-06 | NN Cannery History |
Oscar Penaranda was interviewed on August 11, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham in San Francisco, California. Due to unforseen circumstances, this interview was conducted in a busy hotel lobby, so there is significant background noise. We have tried to reduce this noise by using audio editing software, but with limited success. Nevertheless, we have chosen to include this interview in the <NN> Cannery History Project Jukebox, because we believe it is important that Oscar's stories are heard. They provide insight into the Filipino cannery experience, a little known aspect of Alaska history, and touch on issues of labor, race, and the history of work. In this interview, Oscar talks about his experience working at the <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska and what it was like for Filipino and Filipino-American workers. He discusses getting the job, his impressions of Alaska, the different types of work performed, and the relationship between Filipino, Alaska Native and caucasian employees and between the employees and the cannery administration and the union. He also talks about segregation of the mess halls and bunkhouses, and how the men played gambling games as a form of entertainment. |
| Bob Metivier | 2018-13-02_Pt.1 | NN Cannery History |
Bob Metivier was interviewed on August 8, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Birch Bay, Washington. Bob's wife, Sylvia, also participated in the interview, where she periodically chimed in from the background. The original recording had some audio problems, so it has been manipulated to try to reduce the background noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Bob talks about working for the Alaska Packers Association in Blaine and Semiahmoo, Washington and in South Naknek Alaska. He discusses his job as a shipwright, where he built and repaired boats, and his work as a carpenter foreman, beach gang boss, and outdoor foreman. Bob shares many interesting details about how the boats were built, maintained, repaired, painted and named, and how the cannery facility and buildings were cared for. Part of this interview also focused on Sylvia's experiences working for Alaska Packers Association, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
| Sylvia Metivier | 2018-13-02_PT.2 | NN Cannery History |
Sylvia Metivier was interviewed on August 8, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at her home in Birch Bay, Washington. Sylvia's husband, Bob, also participated in the interview, where he periodically chimed in from the background. The original recording had some audio problems, so it has been manipulated to try to reduce the background noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Sylvia talks about working for the Alaska Packers Association in Blaine, Washington and in South Naknek Alaska. She discusses her job as an accountant, bookkeeper, and office manager, and describes the overall office environment and responsibilities at a cannery. She also shares her memories of the cannery, the people she worked with, interacting with the community, and social activities. Part of this interview also focused on Bob's experiences working for Alaska Packers Association, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
| Harvey Henry | 2018-13-04_PT.1 | NN Cannery History |
Harvey Henry was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at his home in Deming, Washington. Harvey's wife, Janet, also participated in the interview, where she periodically chimed in from the background. A fan running in the room where the interview took place created a disruptive background noise on the recording. The original recording has been manipulated to try to reduce this noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Harvey talks about working in canneries in Alaska as a seamer man, a filler man, and a machinist. He describes the process of making cans, filling the cans, cooking the salmon, and palletizing the finished cans, with specific emphasis on the different types of machinery used, and talks about the important role of the machinist in keeping the whole operation running smoothly and efficiently. He also discusses the different types of foreman in the cannery, the influence of the union on the working conditions, and the general living and working conditions in South Naknek. Finally, Harvey shares his experience of seeing a ghost in the cannery. Part of this interview focused on Janet's experiences working in the cannery at South Naknek, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |
| Janet Henry | 2018-13-04_PT.2 | NN Cannery History |
Janet Henry was interviewed on August 9, 2018 by Anjuli Grantham at her home in Deming, Washington. Janet's husband, Harvey, also participated in the interview, where he periodically chimed in from the background. A fan running in the room where the interview took place created a disruptive background noise on the recording. The original recording has been manipulated to try to reduce this noise and improve the overall sound quality. In this interview, Janet talks about working at the cannery in South Naknek in the Egg House, as a waitress in the mess hall, and in the laundry. She describes the work done, people she worked with, and the enjoyment she got from being a waitress. In particular, Janet talks about how appreciative she was that she could have her children close by when she was working, and how much she learned from local people, such as Shirley Zimin, Helvie Anderson, and Jeannie Stewart. Part of this interview focused on Harvey's experiences working in the cannery at South Naknek, and although it is all one recording, this has been included in this project as a separate interview. |