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Gerald "Jerry" Walker

Jerry Walker

jwalkerft.gifGerald "Jerry" Walker was born in 1924 to James A. and Mary Walker in Ghost Creek, near Holy Cross, Alaska. He grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle traveling the area for hunting, trapping, and fishing. He served in the military and was stationed at Galena, Alaska, was a successful hunter and trapper, and worked as a riverboat captain barging supplies up and down the Yukon and Iditarod Rivers. Jerry was also an airplane pilot, commercial fisherman, and a self-taught mechanic for all engines. He was an active member of the Holy Cross Catholic Church, a Deloycheet and Doyon Ltd. shareholder, and served as a traditional chief for the people of Holy Cross. He received the Traditional of Holy Cross Honored Elder Award. After so many years of running a trapline and living and working on the river, these were activities that he loved. Even as he aged, Jerry continued to live at Ghost Creek, where he enjoyed the quiet away from the village. Jerry Walker passed away in 2007 at age 82.
Date of Birth:
Jul 5, 1924
Date of Death:
Jan 24, 2007
Gerald "Jerry" Walker appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Gerald "Jerry" Walker

Gerald (Jerry) Walker was interviewed on September 2, 2003 by his life partner, Rita Paul, Debbie Turner from the Holy Cross Tribal Council, and Karen Brewster from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program in Anchorage, Alaska. Jerry was temporarily living in Anchorage at an assisted care facility due to health issues. In this interview, Jerry talks about living at Ghost Creek near the village of Holy Cross, his experiences on the trapline, being a riverboat captain, and other jobs he held around the region. He also discusses potlatches, holiday celebrations, and environmental changes he has observed in his many years on the trapline and on the river. Jerry's declining health prevented him from continuing to trap, hunt, and be on the river like he used to. He speaks of these activities with great fondness.

 2002-10-10 Holy Cross Community Project Sep 2, 2003