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Luke Demientieff

Luke Demientieff 2002

lademientiefft_0.gifLuke Demientieff is an Athabascan elder who was born in 1926 to Frances and Eluska Demientieff in Holy Cross, Alaska. He was raised in Holy Cross and attended school at the Holy Cross Mission, where he learned to read, write, garden, cut wood, and build things. Luke had a long career both in Holy Cross and in Bethel in construction and as a skilled carpenter, but his primary focus was subsistence fishing, trapping, and hunting. In 1950, he married Alice Withrow who came to the Mission in 1941 from Dillingham when she was nine years old. Together they raised a large family, and spent a lot of time traveling and living off the land. They also owned and operated the Holy Cross Lodge for many years. They have a cabin at Reindeer Lake, where they prefer to spend much of their time. For more about Luke and Alice Demientieff see their 2017 interview for the Legacy of our Elders video series produced by Tanana Chiefs Conference. Luke passed away in March 2023 at the age of 97. For more about Luke Demientieff, see his obituary in the Anchorage Daily News newspaper.
Date of Birth:
Mar 7, 1926
Date of Death:
Mar 22, 2023
Luke Demientieff appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Luke and Alice Demientieff's Slideshow
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Luke and Alice Demientieff, Part 1

Luke and Alice Demientieff were interviewed on April 17, 2002 by their granddaughter Tess Paul, her husband Eugene Paul who is the village chief, and Karen Brewster from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program at the Demientieff's home in Holy Cross, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Luke and Alice talk about their lives, his work in construction and as a carpenter, attending the Mission school, raising a family, running a business, their extensive subsistence fishing, trapping, and hunting, and spending time at their Reindeer Lake cabin. Luke discusses what you need to know to survive out in the country at different times of year, and tells many stories about his travels and adventures. Alice talks about going to school at the Holy Cross Mission, learning to knit and sew, and what daily life was like at the Mission. She also discusses traveling with Luke on the trapline and for other hunting and fishing, traditional subsistence activities and food preparation, raising a family, and gardening. At the end of the interview, Luke and Alice describe photographs that they selected from their personal collection which they felt represented their lives. The photographs add another layer to understanding Luke and Alice's lives and the history of Holy Cross.

 2002-10-02_PT.1 Holy Cross Community Project Apr 17, 2002
Luke and Alice Demientieff, Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview with Luke and Alice Demientieff on April 17, 2002 by their granddaughter Tessie Paul, her husband Eugene Paul who is the village chief, and Karen Brewster from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program at the Demientieff's home in Holy Cross, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Luke and Alice continue to talk about their hunting, trapping and fishing activities, experiences they had out on the trail and at their cabin, and interactions they had with specific animals. They also talk about how village life and Native traditions have changed, differences in healthcare and employment, and environmental changes they have observed. Finally, they discuss things from their personal lives, such as scariest moments, what they are most proud of, disappointments, and the challenges of moving and living in Bethel, Alaska.

 2002-10-02_PT.2 Holy Cross Community Project Apr 17, 2002