Ruth Sensenig

Jeanette Koelsch is interviewed on April 17, 2019 by Leslie McCartney and Katie Cullen in her office at the headquarters of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Nome, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Jeanette talks about her experience as a field ranger and as an interpretative ranger doing school programs for Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, as well as her current role as superintendent. She discusses her observations of changes in the environment in the region, including variations in the seasons, vegetation, species, sea ice, storm patterns, and erosion, and the effect of these changes on wildlife and humans. She also mentions some of the resource protection and management challenges these changes present for the National Park Service.

Letty Hughes was interviewed on April 14, 2019 by Leslie McCartney and Katie Cullen in her office at the headquarters of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Nome, Alaska. In this interview, Letty talks about her wildlife research and survey work as the preserve's wildlife biologist and observations she has made about environmental change and its effect on wildlife and human use in the region. She also discusses the effect of a changing environment on the ability to conduct fieldwork in the area and about the importance of educating a broad public audience about the impacts of change in the north.

This is the continuation of an interview with Emily Willis on October 4, 2018 by Karen Brewster and Susannah Dowds at Emily's house in Skagway, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Emily leads a walking tour through her garden, stopping along the way to talk about specific plants and their uses, changes she has noticed in plants, her gardening and transplanting techniques, and her successes and failures working with wild and native species in her garden. Karen runs the video camera and Susannah is holding the microphone as they walk on the uneven path through Emily's hillside garden and try to keep up with her as she excitedly talks about plants along the way.

This is a continuation of an interview with Stan Selmer on October 5, 2018 by Karen Brewster at his home in Skagway, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Stan discusses observations of environmental change, including forest fires and temperature, and possible causes underlying environmental change. He also talks about lead and zinc pollution issues in Skagway and at its ore terminal, the relationship between the City of Skagway and the National Park Service on historic resource protection and the Moore House boundary debate, and changes in Skagway due to tourism. He also mentions his tenure on the City Council and as mayor, and his efforts to require sprinkler systems be installed in historic district buildings.

Lynne Cameron and Susan Fredricks were interviewed on October 6, 2018 by Karen Brewster at the home they share in Skagway, Alaska. In this interview, they discuss their observations of and concerns about environmental change they have witnessed after having lived in Skagway since the mid-1980s. As gardeners, they talk about changes they have observed in the growing season, the weather and amounts of precipitation, the types of plants that succeed or fail, insect species, invasive species, and plant diseases. They also discuss other changes, such as with Lynne's beekeeping activities, trees, growth of alpine vegetation, air pollution, glaciers, birds, and shellfish. Finally, Lynne and Susan talk about the issue of lead contamination in Skagway and the possible human health effects, and the importance of living an environmentally responsible and sustainable lifestyle.

This is the continuation of an interview with Andrew and Joanne Beierly on October 5, 2018 by Karen Brewster at the Peniel Mission building in Skagway, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, the Beierlys continue to discuss their observations of environmental change in Skagway. They talk more about the unusual large die-off and starvation of common murres that occurred in 2016, as well as changes in weather, precipitation, seasonal timing, wind, snowfall and ice. They also discuss floods, and environmental changes in Dyea. Finally, they mention changes in the community of Skagway due to tourism.

This is the continuation of an interview with Bea Lingle on October 7, 2018 by Karen Brewster in Bea's room in her daughter, Kathy, and son-in-law's house in Skagway, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Bea continues to talk about environmental changes in and around Skagway, including in Dyea. She also talks about the effect of having the National Park Service in Skagway, the changes in the community and buildings, and changes to the layout of Skagway streets, Pullen Creek and Pullen Pond. She also mentions observations of changes to the glaciers in the area, and specifically mentions flooding in Dyea from from a glacial lake outwash.

John McDermott was interviewed on October 9, 2018 by Karen Brewster in Skagway, Alaska. In this interview, John talks about his observations of environmental change in the Skagway and Dyea area. He discusses changes in weather, temperature, precipitation, snow fall, wind, storms, river flooding, and glaciers. In particular, he mentions the West Creek Flood and erosion along the Taiya River. He also talks about his experience as a gardener and changes in the growing season, as well as changes in local bird and wildlife populations.

This is the continuation of an interview with Jeff and Dorothy Brady on October 10, 2018 by Karen Brewster at their home in Skagway, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, the Bradys continue to talk about observations of environmental change in the Skagway and Dyea area. They discuss pollution and water contamination, changes in fish and bird populations, and the occurance of rock slides into the harbor. They also talk about changing species in the garden and express concerns about increased potential for forest fires, as well as the need for increased awareness and action on environmental change around the world.

Dave Swanson was interviewed on November 25, 2019 by Leslie McCartney at Elmer Rasmuson Library on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this interview, Dave talks about his work as an ecologist on the Seward Peninsula and in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. He discusses what he has observed and what his scientific research has documented regarding changes in permafrost, lakes and lake drainage, waterfowl, vegetation, the coastline, fish, weather, seasonal timing, snow, caribou, lichen, and fires. He also talks about the area’s polygonal landscape and its volcanic history, and his research techniques and methodology.

Charlie Lean was interviewed on February 5, 2020 by Leslie McCartney and Katie Cullen at the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve offices in Nome, Alaska. In this interview, Charlie talks about his observations of environmental change throughout his lifetime living in Nome and working as a biologist in the region. He discusses changes in fish and fisheries, beavers, moose, caribou, crab, weather patterns, seasonal timing, ocean temperatures and salinity, sea ice, permafrost, and vegetation. He also talks about subsistence, his own snowmachine travels, and facilities and conditions at Serpentine and Arctic Hot Springs.

Vera Kingeekuk Metcalf was interviewed on February 6, 2020 by Leslie McCartney and Katie Cullen at the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve offices in Nome, Alaska. In this interview, Vera talks about observations of environmental change in the Bering Strait region during her lifetime, including with walrus, ocean temperatures, algal blooms, sea ice, food resources, seasonal timing, snowfall, coastal erosion, whales, and fishing. She also talks about her work with the Eskimo Walrus Commission, regulations and co-management, cultural documentation, and her current efforts to host a summit for young hunters to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between generations.

Ken Adkisson was interviewed on February 7, 2020 by Leslie McCartney and Katie Cullen at the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve offices in Nome, Alaska. In this interview, Ken talks about his observations of environmental change in the region, including weather patterns, snowfall, travel and access, marine ecosystem, ocean temperature, permafrost, vegetation, moose, beaver, caribou, bears, fish, sea birds, and marine industrial traffic. He also talks about park and wildlife management issues, subsistence, cultural change, archeological research, and human adaptation.

Elisabeth Sager was interviewed on August 3, 2021 by Marcy Okada, Subsistence Coordinator for Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, outside in Elisabeth's garden at her home in Eagle, Alaska. In this interview, Elisabeth talks about living a subsistence-based lifestyle at a remote cabin on Trout Creek, a tributary of the Yukon River. She describes picking a cabin site, building a cabin, the daily routine of cabin life, raising children in a remote setting, raising and caring for dogs, traveling by dogteam and boat, and spending months alone at the cabin with her children while her husband ran his trapline. Elisabeth also talks about the seasonal subsistence activities of fishing and berrypicking in the summer, hunting moose and bear in the fall, and trapping in the winter. Finally, Elisabeth shares some of her thoughts and feelings about living close to the land, conservation, and protecting the planet from continued human impacts.

Judy Bittner was interviewed on November 2, 2021 by Karen Brewster in a conference room at the Office of History and Archeology, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in the Robert B. Atwood Building in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. In this interview, Judy talks about the history of designation of the Iditarod National Historic Trail, the Advisory Council for the Iditarod National Historic Trail that was formed to oversee implementation of a comprehensive management plan for the trail, and the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, which is the current non-profit trail advocacy and education organization. She discusses collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management who is the designated trail administer, resolving land ownership, conveyance, state selection, and right of way easement issues along the trail, coordinating with local groups on trail stewardship, and the Council and Alliance’s education and outreach activities to encourage the public to support trail preservation and understand the trail’s important history, such as publications and the Alliance’s teacher training program (Iditarod Trail to Every Classroom - iTREC). She also mentions the administrative and financial workings of the Alliance as non-profit, and trail projects that they have undertaken, including construction of shelter cabins and nomination of historic structures along the route to the National Register of Historic Places.

Pat Pourchot was interviewed on November 2, 2021 by Karen Brewster in a conference room at the Office of History and Archeology, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in the Robert B. Atwood Building in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. In this interview, Pat talks about his involvement with the designation of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. He discusses working on the 1977 gold rush trails study for the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation (The Iditarod Trail (Seward-Nome Route) and other Alaskan Gold Rush Trails), and the role Joe Redington played in getting the trail recognized and protected. Pat also talks about working for Senator Mike Gravel in Washington, D.C., negotiating with other senate staff, and helping to get the legislation passed that officially designated the Iditarod Trail as a national historic trail. Pat also talks about his other work on D-2 lands legislation, review of Wild and Scenic Rivers in Alaska, public land issues under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), serving in the Alaska legislature and as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, as well as other trail and conservation advocacy work.

Lee Poleske was interviewed on November 3, 2021 by Karen Brewster at his home in Seward, Alaska. In this interview, Lee talks about getting involved with the Iditarod National Historic Trail Alliance through the local Seward Trail Blazers group. He discusses the group’s accomplishments of getting the Seward section of the trail recognized and a bike path constructed along the first part of the route, installing Mile 0 signs and interpretive panels, and creating commemorative statues to honor the early gold miners who walked the trail and trail pioneer Jujiro Wada. He also talks about their public education activities, including participating in the Alliance’s teacher training program (Iditarod Trail to Every Classroom - iTREC), producing a newsletter for both the Trail Blazers and the Alliance, receiving support from the local staff of the Chugach National Forest/U.S. Forest Service, and recognition of the southern portion of the Iditarod Trail and construction of a complete recreational trail along the historic route.

Delois Burggraf was interviewed on December 7, 2021 by Karen Brewster at Delois' home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Her son, Alfred "Bear" Ketzler, Jr., was also present during the interview and periodically chimes in with his own comments. In this first part of a three part interview, Delois talks about life in Nenana, Alaska in the early 1950s, the work of her father, Charlie Purvis, with Al Starr and her then husband, Al Ketzler, Sr., on early Alaska Native land issues, and the organization of meetings in 1962 to begin discussion about Native land claims. Delois also talks about some of the non-Native allies who helped in the early days, including LaVerne Madigan of the Association of American Indian Affairs, and Kay Hitchcock and Sandy Jensen of Fairbanks.

This is a continuation of the interview with Delois Burggraf on February 24, 2022 by Karen Brewster at Delois' home in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this third part of a three part interview, Delois continues to discuss her involvement with the early Native land claims movement in Alaska in the 1960s and 1970s leading up to passage of the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) in 1971. She talks about petitioning for a land freeze, filing an injunction on construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the people involved in the land claims movement, the stress they were under, and the personal and family impacts of this stress. She also talks about the legacy of ANCSA, the corporate structure, and her lack of continued activism after passage of ANCSA. Throughout the interview, Delois provides a lot of background history and socio-cultural context for Native and non-Native relations and changes she has seen since moving to Alaska as a child.

Sam Demientieff was interviewed on March 2, 2022 by Bill Schneider and Karen Brewster at Sam's home in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this interview, Sam reflects on the legacy of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and his involvement in various aspects of its implementation. He talks about the setting up of regional and village corporations, shareholders and types of shares, the business focus of the corporations, business and resource development, and net operating losses. He also talks about working for the Interior Village Association to help villages set up their own corporations, serving on the board of Doyon Ltd., some of the business ventures and investments made by Doyon, Ltd., and working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the time when Alaska tribes were working toward gaining federal recognition. Sam also shares his thoughts on the future of ANCSA corporations and the Native way of life.

Colleen Redman was interviewed on March 14, 2022 by Karen Brewster at Colleen's home in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this interview, Colleen talks about her work as a social worker in Fairbanks, her brother, Tom Snapp, the Tundra Times and the All-Alaska Weekly newspapers, and their role during the Alaska Native land claims period. She discusses how the papers were founded and funded, how the All-Alaska Weekly was produced and printed, and her role working for the All-Alaska Weekly. She also talks about Tom Snapp helping Howard Rock start the Tundra Times, Native and non-Native relationships, Tom's devotion to journalism, professional journalism ethics, the importance of newspapers in keeping the public informed, and Tom's legacy as one of Alaska's premier newspapermen.

Correction: There was some confusion about dates during the interview. The Iñupiat Paitot meeting held in Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow), Alaska actually occurred in November 1961, and the Tundra Times newspapers started publishing in October 1962.

Alfred "Bear" Ketzler, Jr. was interviewed on April 20, 2022 by Karen Brewster at his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Despite best efforts to be in a quiet location, by the end of the interview, Bear's household was beginning to get busy as family members returned home at the end of the day and dinnertime approached, so there is some background noise of people talking, walking, and preparing food in the kitchen. In this interview, Bear talks about the early days of the Alaska Native land claims movement in Nenana and Tanana, his parents' and grandfather's role, growing up in that political and high stress environment, and his childhood memories of and experiences with meetings, learning about the issues, and meeting key players. He also talks about his own life and career, the influence his family had on his own work in Native governance, and the effects of ANCSA and Native regional corporations on Alaska Natives.

Ruby and Nate Becker and their thirteen-year-old twin daughters, Grace and Genevieve, and their seven-year-old son, Hunter, were interviewed on July 20, 2022 by Marcy Okada of the National Park Service and Karen Brewster of the Oral History Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the Charlie Juneby Tribal Hall in Eagle Village, Alaska. In this interview, the Beckers talk about living at a remote cabin along the Yukon River inside Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. They talk about the challenges of maintaining this off-grid lifestyle and raising children there, as well as the joys of living on the land and close to nature. They discuss their subsistence hunting, fishing, gathering, and trapping activities, using a dogteam and other forms of transportation, and staying connected with family and the outside world. All three children chime in at various times with their own memories and stories of particular events, such as seeing a black wolf or the rescue of a swan, and how they feel about their remote cabin living experience.

Bertha Ulvi and Ruth Ridley were interviewed on July 20, 2022 by Marcy Okada of the National Park Service and Karen Brewster of the Oral History Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the Charlie Juneby Tribal Hall in Eagle Village, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Bertha and Ruth continue to talk about their lives at Eagle Village along the Yukon River. In particular, they discuss attending boarding school in Oregon, subsistence hunting, fishing and trapping activities, traditional plant use and traditional medicine, locations where they have practiced subsistence activities, and recent changes in the salmon population. Bertha also shares stories of taking care of their elderly mother and grandmother, and living on the trapline and hunting moose and caribou during the early years of her marriage.

Jennifer "Jen" Andrulli was interviewed on October 10, 2022 by Stefanie Burich via Zoom. Jen was in Soldotna, Alaska and Stefanie was in Anchorage, Alaska. In this interview, Jen talks about her work with traditional plant harvesting and use of plants for medicinal purposes. Jen talks about traditional healing and the importance of plants for physical and emotional healing, re-connecting with cultural traditions, and how this knowledge is part of what she calls the "Great Remembering." Jen shares her families traditions of respect for plants and the natural world and some of her knowledge about specific plants and how she processes and uses them.

Meda DeWitt was interviewed on October 28, 2022 by Jennifer "Jen" Andrulli via Zoom. Meda was in Anchorage, Alaska and Jen was in Soldotna, Alaska. In this interview, Meda talks about her work as a traditional healer and the plants she uses. She also discusses the impacts of colonization on Alaska Native cultural systems, in particular that of traditional medicine and traditional healers. She also discusses the importance of understanding Indigenous language terms and perspectives, traditional agricultural methods, and transplanting of indigenous plants.

Eva Dawn Burk was interviewed on January 18, 2023 by Jennifer Andrulli via Zoom. Eva was in Nenana, Alaska and Jennifer was in La Tigra, Costa Rica. In this interview, Eva talks about her work on food security and food sovereignty in Nenana, including the promotion of Indigenous agriculture, gardening, and the use of traditional plants for food and medicine. She talks about working with Elders and a multi-generational team and the importance of re-building a relationship with the land, plants, and animals. She also discusses the State of Alaska's Nenana-Totchaket Agriculture Project and its impact to traditional lands, lifestyle, and resources.

Nolan Heath was interviewed on May 6, 2024 by Karen Brewster at his home in Eagle River, Alaska. In this interview, Nolan talks about his career with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and his oversight of BLM’s management of the Iditarod National Historic Trail in his role as Deputy State Director of Resources. Nolan discusses working to protect the trail, establishing rights of ways and easements for the trail, obtaining land conveyances, marking and maintaining trails, and maintaining and building shelter cabins. He also talks about the internal decision-making process within BLM, collaborating with other agencies and organizations, and the importance of educating the public about the history of the Iditarod Trail.

Kevin Keeler was interviewed on May 7, 2024 by Karen Brewster at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Office in Anchorage, Alaska. In this interview, Kevin talks about his job as the Iditarod National Historic Trail Administrator for the BLM, the history of the historic trail designation, and the role of BLM as the managing agency. He discusses locating and marking the trail and historic sites along the route, implementing the comprehensive management plan, building shelter cabins, and promoting public education about the trail. He also talks about the internal decision-making process within BLM, the importance of partnerships and the successful collaboration with the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance (IHTA), his own experiences on the trail, and future priorities for trail management.