Chester Ballot

Chester Ballot is an Iñupiaq elder who was born in 1944 near Selawik, Alaska. Chester grew up in Kotzebue living a traditional Iñupiaq hunting and fishing lifestyle, and graduated from Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska. After graduating in 1962, Chester received electronics training at the RCA Institutes in Los Angelese, California. Chester was drafted and at age 21 began his service in the U.S. Army. With his electronics background, he was first sent to West Germany with the 97th Signal Battalion, and later was sent to Vietnam with the 52^nd Signal Battalion. In his later years, Chester worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge offices in Kotzebue, and retired in 2017. He also worked at Maniilaq Association for 18 years, has served on the board of the Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation in Kotzebue, and in 2016 was appointed to the Governor's Tribal Advisory Council for Alaska. From February 29 to March 2, 1996, Chester participated in the Communities of Memory public storytelling event held in Kotzebue where local residents spoke about their memories of and experiences related to the military.