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Ellen Hope Hays, Interview 1, Part 1 |
Ellen Hope Hays was interviewed on December 7, 1998 by Karen Brewster and Kristen Griffin at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska office in Sitka, Alaska. Robi Craig, Tribal Anthropologist for the Sitka Tribe, was also present during the interview. At the time of this interview, Ellen was living on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and this project supported her travel to Sitka to be interviewed. Ellen was a vivacious, petite, 70-year old who was an energetic and eloquent speaker. She obviously had been in an interview setting before and was comfortable with it. She'd take one question and run with it, thereby discussing topics that future questions had intended to address. Ellen carried herself with strength and pride and did not hesitate to speak her mind. Her responses in this interview indicated these were issues she has thought about before; she knew what she wanted to say. There was so much to discuss with Ellen that this interview carried over into a second day (Interview 2). In this first part of a three part interview, Ellen talks about her family background, her childhood growing up in the Cottages Community that neighbored Sitka National Historical Park, using the park as her playground, and her role in the development of the Alaska Native Brotherhood. She also talks about working to establish the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center, history of and changes in Sitka, the relationship between the National Park Service and the community, and how she became park superintendent and then Native Liaison for the Alaska Region of the National Park Service. Finally, Ellen discusses the importance of maintaining her Tlingit identity and continuing Native cultural knowledge and practices, reflects on her career with the National Park Service and the value of Sitka National Historical Park and commemoration of the 1804 battle between the Kiks.'adi and the Russians, key Tlingit teachers and artists who worked at the Cultural Center, and the role of the Cultural Center in the community. At the end of the interview, Ellen talks about historic photographs related to the national park and installation of the Centennial House Post.
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98-39-01_PT.1 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Dec 7, 1998 |
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Ellen Hope Hays, Interview 1, Part 2 |
This is a continuation of the interview with Ellen Hope Hays on December 7, 1998 by Karen Brewster and Kristen Griffin at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska office in Sitka, Alaska. Robi Craig, Tribal Anthropologist for the Sitka Tribe, was also present during the interview. Her responses in this interview indicate these are issues she has thought about before; she knew what she wanted to say. There was so much to discuss with Ellen that this interview carried over into a second day (Interview 2). In this second part of a three part interview, Ellen talks about installation of the Bicentennial Pole, the value and success of the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center and how important it has been to Alaska Native artists, the relationship between the Cultural Center and the community, and a 1990s oral history project. She also talks about photographs of Cultural Center artists and their work.
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98-39-01_PT.2 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Dec 7, 1998 |
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Ellen Hope Hays, Interview 2 |
This is a continuation of the interview with Ellen Hope Hays on December 8, 1998 by Kristen Griffin and Karen Brewster at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska office in Sitka, Alaska. Robi Craig, Tribal Anthropologist for the Sitka Tribe, was also present during the interview. There was so much to discuss with Ellen on the first day of her interview (Interview 1, Parts 1 and 2), that it carried over into a second day. In this third part of a three part interview, Ellen talks about the history and lifestyle of the Native people of Sitka, their experiences in the Cottages Community, and the importance of the Cottages. She looks at historic photographs related to the Cottages Community and identifies people in them and discusses what life was like in the Cottages, including community gatherings, attending church, and the role of music. She also talks about the relationship the Cottage residents had with Sitka National Historical Park and their use of the resources, the development and role of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, Tlingit business ventures, and changes to the Cottages and Sitka. Finally, Ellen reflects on her life and work with the National Park Service and the importance of having Natives tell their own history.
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98-39-02 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Dec 8, 1998 |
