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Evan Chukwak

Evan Chukwak was a Yup'ik elder who was born in 1929 in Kokhanok, Alaska and moved to Levelock in 1943. He grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle, and his grandfather was a strong influence who taught him traditional skills and values. His grandfather's stories helped Evan prepare for environmental and cultural changes that were coming in the future, including his prediction of the coming of starvation times. Evan started working at Diamond J Cannery in 1947 and in 1948 started fishing commercially. In 1951, Evan married his wife, Olga, and they lived on the Branch River until 1958 when they had to move into Levelock so their children could attend school. Evan spent much of his life out in the country, hunting, trapping and fishing, and wanted to be sure to pass on this knowledge and these skills to his children and grandchildren. Evan Chukwak passed away at age 74 on September 8, 2003.

Date of Birth:

Apr 15, 1929

Date of Death:

Sep 8, 2003

Evan Chukwak appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Katmai National Park

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Evan Chukwak	Evan Chukwak was interviewed on May 6, 1998 by William Schneider and Don Callaway at the village corporation office/hotel in Levelock, Alaska. In this interview, Evan talks about the hardships of living a traditional subsistence lifestyle in the early days, and changes in the animal populations and in hunting practices. Evan discusses his grandfather, the knowledge he shared, the stories the told, and the lessons Evan learned from him, including about treating animals properly and how to cope with starvation times. Evan also talks about the impact of sport fishermen and lodges on the local subsistence lifestyle, and the importance of passing his land and knowledge on to his children and grandchildren.	98-17-04	Katmai National Park	May 6, 1998