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Herb Karmun

Herb Karmun

Harry "Herb" Karmun, Sr. (Zinitqu) was Iñupiaq born in 1936 to Mamie (Moto) and Alfred Karmun in Deering, Alaska. He was raised in Deering and Candle and came from a family with a long history of reindeer herding with his grandfather, Harry Karmun, his father, and his uncle, Wilbur Karmun, all being herders. Herb learned about reindeer herding, corraling and butchering from these men and grew up helping his father with the herd using dogteams and later snowmachines. Eventually, Herb started herding on his own with his family helping during spring round-up. He also served in the U.S. Army, worked for NC Meat Market as a butcher in Nome, and as an airport manager for the city of Deering, but was mostly known as a herder. He married Alice C. (Gregg) on July 9, 1958 and together they raised 10 children. Herb Karmun passed away in 2016. For more about Herb Karmun, see his obituary.

 
Date of Birth:
Jan 27, 1936
Date of Death:
Jan 3, 2016
Herb Karmun appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Herb Karmun's Slideshow
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Herb Karmun

Herb Karmun was interviewed on October 4, 2000 by William Schneider, Rose Atuk Fosdick and Knut Kielland at Herb's home in Wasilla, Alaska. In this interview, Herb talks about his family's history of reindeer herding in the area around Deering, Alaska. He describes the variables that influence the health of the herd, with specific mention of wolves, bears, and the movements of caribou. Herb's herd had been taken over by caribou and he was hopeful that he might be able to recover the reindeer.

 2000-102-01 Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past Oct 4, 2000