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LaRece Egli

Originally from Bellevue, Idaho, LaRece Egli lives in Naknek, Alaska, where she has participated in the commercial fishing industry and is an artist. Since 2004, she has focused on interactive, performance and three-dimensional art, and currently is focused on harnessing digital media to activate the experience of her creative work. Currently, LaRece serves as the media expert for the <NN> Cannery History Project, where she has operated the audio recording equipment during many of the project's oral history interviews, and assisted with their digital storytelling workshop for high school students.

LaRece Egli appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

NN Cannery History

As Interviewer

Interview Title	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Abstract
Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr.	2018-13-09	NN Cannery History	Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr.were interviewed on December 10, 2018 by LaRece Egli at their daughter's home in Anchorage, Alaska. Their grandsons, Sam and Liam Stewert were also present during the interview, along with a brief appearance by their son-in-law, Sam Stewert, Sr. In this interview, Carvel and Shirley discuss their connections to the Alaska Packers Association <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Carvel discusses his long family ties to the company, and his most recent job as winter watchman, and Shirley talks about working at the cannery laundry, living in Naknek, and memories of playing around the buildings as a child. They both discuss the important role the cannery has played in the community. Sam Stewert shares his memory of the cannery, regarding radio communication and people setting up radio antennas from the outdoor clotheslines. At the end of the interview, Carvel and Shirley look at historic photographs from the Alaska Packers Association collection from the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraies Heritage Resources, Western Washington University that LaRece has on her laptop computer. This instigates discussion of specific buildings and activities at the cannery.
Orin Seybert	2018-13-12	NN Cannery History	Orin Seybert was interviewed on December 27, 2018 by Katherine Ringsmuth and LaRece Egli at the Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage, Alaska (previously known as the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum). In this interview, Orin talks about growing up in Pilot Point, Alaska, getting interested in flying, and starting his own flying business, Peninsula Airways (PenAir) to provide service to people in Bristol Bay. He also discusses the importance of aviation to the canneries in the region, landing on beaches versus on airstrips, and working with George Tibbetts, Sr., another well-known Bristol Bay pilot, to service the needs of the canneries. Orin also talks about the connections between the canneries and local communities, and how things have changed in the region.
Becky Savo	2018-13-13	NN Cannery History	Becky Savo was interviewed on April 22, 2019 by LaRece Egli at the Bristol Bay Historical Society in Naknek, Alaska. In this interview, Becky talks about working at canneries in Chignik and Naknek, Alaska in the 1970s and 1980s. She describes the process of fish processing and canning, working at the patching table and being a machinist's helper, and serving and cooking in the mess hall. Her stories of the hard work and physical labor involved with cannery work paint a picture of life at the cannery during the summer fishing and processing season, as well as work done before and after the season to open up and close down the cannery, most particularly the bunkhouses. She also talks about the cross-cultural experience cannery work provided, how everyone had to learn to get along, the importance of listening to music, and the development of long-term friendships.

Interview Title

Archive #: Oral History

Project

Abstract

Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr.

2018-13-09

NN Cannery History

Shirley and Carvel Zimin, Jr.were interviewed on December 10, 2018 by LaRece Egli at their daughter's home in Anchorage, Alaska. Their grandsons, Sam and Liam Stewert were also present during the interview, along with a brief appearance by their son-in-law, Sam Stewert, Sr. In this interview, Carvel and Shirley discuss their connections to the Alaska Packers Association <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Carvel discusses his long family ties to the company, and his most recent job as winter watchman, and Shirley talks about working at the cannery laundry, living in Naknek, and memories of playing around the buildings as a child. They both discuss the important role the cannery has played in the community. Sam Stewert shares his memory of the cannery, regarding radio communication and people setting up radio antennas from the outdoor clotheslines.

At the end of the interview, Carvel and Shirley look at historic photographs from the Alaska Packers Association collection from the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraies Heritage Resources, Western Washington University that LaRece has on her laptop computer. This instigates discussion of specific buildings and activities at the cannery.

Orin Seybert

2018-13-12

NN Cannery History

Orin Seybert was interviewed on December 27, 2018 by Katherine Ringsmuth and LaRece Egli at the Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage, Alaska (previously known as the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum). In this interview, Orin talks about growing up in Pilot Point, Alaska, getting interested in flying, and starting his own flying business, Peninsula Airways (PenAir) to provide service to people in Bristol Bay. He also discusses the importance of aviation to the canneries in the region, landing on beaches versus on airstrips, and working with George Tibbetts, Sr., another well-known Bristol Bay pilot, to service the needs of the canneries. Orin also talks about the connections between the canneries and local communities, and how things have changed in the region.

Becky Savo

2018-13-13

NN Cannery History

Becky Savo was interviewed on April 22, 2019 by LaRece Egli at the Bristol Bay Historical Society in Naknek, Alaska. In this interview, Becky talks about working at canneries in Chignik and Naknek, Alaska in the 1970s and 1980s. She describes the process of fish processing and canning, working at the patching table and being a machinist's helper, and serving and cooking in the mess hall. Her stories of the hard work and physical labor involved with cannery work paint a picture of life at the cannery during the summer fishing and processing season, as well as work done before and after the season to open up and close down the cannery, most particularly the bunkhouses. She also talks about the cross-cultural experience cannery work provided, how everyone had to learn to get along, the importance of listening to music, and the development of long-term friendships.

As a Person Present at Interview

Interview Title	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Abstract	People Present
Gary Johnson	2018-13-07	NN Cannery History	Gary Johnson was interviewed on October 8, 2018 by Robert W. (Bob) King in the home of Gary's daughter, Katie Ringsmuth, in Eagle River, Alaska. LaRece Egli was also present during the interview operating the audio recorder and she asks a few questions at the end. In this interview, Gary talks about his work with Alaska Packers Association canneries in Alaska and serving as superintendent at the <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, Alaska. Gary discusses his job duties as superintendent, how he kept the facility operational, and good relastionships he maintained with employees, quality control inspectors, fishermen, government regulators, other canneries, and the local residents of South Naknek. He emphasizes the importance of the local spring/fall crews in maintaining the infrastructure and opening and closing all the facilities each season, and how much he enjoyed spending time with the community. He also discusses segregation of mess halls, disputes over the price of fish, and other challenges of the job, as well as why he found the work so rewarding. Gary feels a deep connection with the <NN> Cannery and the people he worked with.	LaRece Egli
Trefon Angasan, Jr.	2018-13-10	NN Cannery History	Trefon Angsan, Jr. was interviewed on December 13, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. LaRece Egli was also present operating the digital audio recorder, and Trefon's son, Brad Angasan, also sat in to listen to his father's stories. The interview starts abruptly because Trefon was so excited to share his stories and memories that he began talking before the recording equipment was set up and the formal interview began. Some initial conversation has been edited from the beginning, in order to keep the discussion within the confines of the actual interview. In this interview, Trefon talks about growing up around the <NN> Cannery, his parents working there, and his time working for the cannery on spring/fall crew and as a fisherman. He openly discusses the preferential treatment given by particular superintendents, the racism that persisted, dealing with segregation, and the relationship between different ethnic groups and the local community and the cannery. He also mentions the importance of the cannery to the community and preserving cannery history.	LaRece Egli, Brad Angasan
Denise Statz	2018-13-11	NN Cannery History	Denise Statz was interviewed on December 17, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Turkey Red Restaurant Store in Palmer, Alaska. LaRece Egli was operating the audio recorder, and student intern, Emily Mueller, was observing the interview. In this interview, Denise Statz talks about growing up in Dillingham, Ekwok and South Naknek around the canneries, and her own experience working in the Egg House and as waitress in the mess hall at the Bumblebee cannery in South Nakenk. Denise feels a deep connection to the Bristol Bay region and the people of the villages, as well as to the diversity of people she worked with at the cannery. Finally, Denise discusses the mutual dependency that existed between the canneries and the local communities.	LaRece Egli, Emily Mueller