George Hall, Part 1 |
George Hall was interviewed on April 16, 1999 by Karen Brewster at his office in Anchorage, Alaska. The interview began at his office on Tudor Road in Anchorage in the morning. He had artifacts and mementos from his years in Sitka at home that he wished to share, so the interview continued later that afternoon at his house in South Anchorage (Part 3). At the time of the interview, George was in his late 70s, and was a profuse storyteller. He still had a sharp memory, provided lots of details in his discussions, and was like a walking history book. In his enthusiasm, George sometimes wandered off the main subject, but eventually returned. In this interview, George talks about his ten years of working for the National Park Service in Sitka, Alaska. He discusses the variety of jobs he held and many tasks he completed. The most important to him were recording Tlingit gatherings, collecting Tlingit house pieces for the park's museum collection, and coordinating the museum's exhibit design with the Tlingit community. He speaks highly of the Tlingit in Sitka, and appreciatively of the opportunities he had to work closely with and become friends with them. He also discusses the relationship between the Park Service and the community, and establishment of facilities at the park. In this first part of a three part interview, George specifically talks about working at Sitka National Historical Park, the Native and non-Native history of and use of the area, how the original totem poles were obtained for the park, and efforts to record and preserve Tlingit music and storytelling. He also discusses the battle between the Kiks.'adi and the Russians, the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, the Russian settlement of Sitka, and movements of and relationships between clans in Southeast Alaska. He also talks about the Cottages Community of Sitka, restoration of St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church, and the rest of his Park Service career after leaving Sitka, including at Denali National Park where he dealt with climbing expeditions.
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98-39-12_PT.1 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Apr 16, 1999 |
George Hall, Part 2 |
This is a continuation of the interview with George Hall on April 16, 1999 by Karen Brewster at his office in Anchorage, Alaska. The interview began at his office on Tudor Road in Anchorage in the morning. He had artifacts and mementos from his years in Sitka at home that he wished to share, so the interview continued later that afternoon at his house in South Anchorage (Part 3). In this interview, George talks about his ten years of working for the National Park Service in Sitka, Alaska. He discusses the variety of jobs he held and many tasks he completed. The most important to him were recording Tlingit gatherings, collecting Tlingit house pieces for the park's museum collection, and coordinating the museum's exhibit design with the Tlingit community. He speaks highly of the Tlingit in Sitka, and appreciatively of the opportunities he had to work closely with and become friends with them. He also discusses the relationship between the Park Service and the community, and establishment of facilities at the park. In this second part of a three part interview, George specifically talks about recording Tlingit music and storytelling, the acquisition and restoration of the Russian Bishop's House in Sitka, and the demolition and reconstruction of a blockhouse in Sitka. He also discusses what life was like in Sitka in the 1950s and 1960s, the history of Castle Hill in Sitka, he collection and preservation of artifacts, the fire at St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Church, and the construction of facilities and raising of totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park.
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98-39-12_PT.2 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Apr 16, 1999 |
George Hall, Part 3 |
This is a continuation of the interview with George Hall on April 16, 1999 by Karen Brewster at his home in Anchorage, Alaska. The interview began at his office on Tudor Road in Anchorage in the morning (Parts 1 & 2). He had artifacts and mementos from his years in Sitka at home that he wished to share, so the interview continued later that afternoon at his house in South Anchorage. In this interview, George talks about his ten years of working for the National Park Service in Sitka, Alaska. He discusses the variety of jobs he held and many tasks he completed. The most important to him were recording Tlingit gatherings, collecting Tlingit house pieces for the park's museum collection, and coordinating the museum's exhibit design with the Tlingit community. He speaks highly of the Tlingit in Sitka, and appreciatively of the opportunities he had to work closely with and become friends with them. He specifically mentions his close friend, Alex Andrews. He also discusses the relationship between the Park Service and the community, and establishment of facilities at the park. In this third part of a three part interview, George specifically talks about the changing relationship between the National Park Service and the community of Sitka, restoration of Indian River, and the establishment of the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center in the park. He also discusses his role in the development of the exhibit's at the park, the installation of totem poles at the park, and the development of facilities in the park. Finally, he mentions a shooting that took place at the park, the close friendship he had with Alex Andrews, formation of the Sitka Historical Society, and his appreciation for Tlingit culture and the community of Sitka. At the end of this interview, George proudly showed Tlingit artifacts, art, and craftpieces he collected and received while living in Sitka. For him, this material reflects the special relationship he developed with Native people in Sitka. After moving away, he continued to return to Sitka for periodic visits. He felt a strong connection to Sitka and its residents. As he said, "It was home."
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98-39-12_PT.3 |
Sitka National Historical Park |
Apr 16, 1999 |