Fiona Sawden

Feona (Kheona) Joan Sawden was a Sugpiaq Elder from Port Graham, Alaska. She was born in 1939 to Polly and Larry Meganack, and grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle where they moved seasonally to follow the availability of animals, fish and plants in various locations. She was a fluent speaker of her Native Sugt'stun language, and worked as a bilingual teacher with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and as a Sugt'stun language translator for publications and teaching. It was important to her to preserve, protect and document the Aluutiq/Sugpiaq language, health and education, so she eagerly shared her cultural and traditional knowledge. Feona worked as an Orthopedic Nurses Aide at the Alaska Native Medical Center from 1966 to 1969; for the Port Graham Elementary and High schools; as Secretary at Chugach Native Inc. from 1978-1979; and as a Community Health Aide from 1991 until retirement. She served on the Chugach Alaska Corporation Board of Directors from 1978-1985, was a church reader, and an elder representative to the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN). She was very involved with her family, culture, language, traditional preservation, and community. Her career showed her continuous support of her village, region and state. Feona passed away in 2019 at the age of 80. For more about Feona Sawden, see her obituary in the Anchorage Daily News newspaper.