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Brad Angasan

Brad Angasan

Brad Angasan is originally from South Naknek, Alaska. He is the grandson of Vera and Trefon Angasan, Sr. and the son of Trefon Angasan, Jr. His father moved the family to Anchorage in 1975, when he began work at the Bristol Bay Native Corporation. However, Brad grew up playing around the <NN> Cannery in South Naknek, and has strong family ties to the community and the cannery, as he and many of his relatives worked there. Brad has also worked as a commercial fisherman since the age of twelve. He currently lives in Anchorage, where he is the vice president of corporate affairs for the Alaska Peninsula Corporation, the village corporation for the communities of South Naknek, Port Heiden, Ugashik, Kokhanok, and Newhalen. However, he still returns to South Naknek every summer to participate in fishing.
Brad Angasan appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Brad Angasan's Slideshow
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Brad Angasan, Part 1

Brad Angasan was interviewed on November 27, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Brad talks about his family's cultural and historical connections to the region and to the <NN> Cannery, and the long-term impacts from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. He shares his childhood memories of the facility, including the smells associated with specific buildings, as well as his own connections to the cannery when he worked there on the spring/fall crew and beach gang.

 2018-13-08_PT.1 NN Cannery History Nov 27, 2018
Brad Angasan, Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview with Brad Angasan on November 27, 2018 by Katie Ringsmuth at the Alaska Peninsula Corporation headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Brad talks about local people being hired at the cannery, segregation, and the benefit of working in the cannery's multi-ethnic environment. He also describes some of his experiences as a commercial fisherman and how the fishing industry has changed since his father and grandfather were fishermen. Finally, Brad shares his feelings about how working at the cannery shaped his life, the important role the cannery has played in the community of South Naknek, and why it's important to preserve the history and legacy of the cannery.

 2018-13-08_PT.2 NN Cannery History Nov 27, 2018

As a Person Present at Interview

Interview Title Archive #: Oral History Project Abstract People Present
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