Cue Bifelt

Cue Bifelft was born in May 1929 in a camp near Hughes, Alaska. His parents were Fred Bifelt and Helen Beetus. In 1938, the family moved down the Koyukuk River from Hughes to Cutoff, near the present day Huslia. Cue grew up mainly in subsistence hunting, fishing and trapping camps in and around Huslia. With the passing of his mother at a young age, Cue rarely left his father's side and learned life-long lessons about respecting the land, animals and waterways. In 1948, he married Madeline Bergman of Allakaket, and two years later they moved to Huslia when the Bureau of Indian Affairs established a school there. Cue and Madeline raised 13 children and 5 grandchildren, some of whom they are still raising today. Cue got his first job at the Hog River mine in 1955 and worked his way up to the job of winch man on the gold dredge. Since 1965, he used his passion for and knowledge of rivers to work for several barge companies hauling freight and construction materials on the Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers, including captain on Taku Chief, and assisting on the Beverly B. Cue was also known for his love of dog mushing and his talent as a successful dog breeder and racer. In 1960, he won both the Fur Rendezvous and the Open North American dog mushing races. Into old age, Cue continued a pattern of working in the summer and hunting and trapping for subsistence in the winter. Cue Bifelt passed away in 2012 at the age of 82.