Tag: Gwich’in

Alaska Native/Indigenous People

Adeline Peter Raboff – Author and Historian

Angela Gonzalez

Adeline Peter Raboff (Gwich’in/Koyukon Athabascan) reached out to me to share a new map she helped develop with the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve / National Park Service. It is a map of the estimated distribution of Inupiat, Koyukon, Gwich’in and Lower Tanana in 1800. 

Adeline has worked with the Park Service to get them out to schools. She says, “My main objective in getting this out to as many Alaska Native communities as possible is to make people aware that Alaska Natives have a history that didn’t just start with the first Russians, English, or Americans who came to Alaska. Present day Alaska history books begin with our ‘discovery,’ and Alaska Natives take up about 1/26th of the history of Alaska.”

Adeline is the author many books, including Inuksuk: Northern Koyukon, Gwich’in & Lower Tanana, 1800-1901, published in 2001. Her goal is to write a book about this history in this map.

I spoke with her about the map and our history. The map represents decade of research she’s completed by reading books and stories shared by her family and the peoples of the regions.

Here are some words she shared:

“To me, this map represents the beginning of writing the history of the northern Koyukon, which does not exist.”

“The assumption is that…people just lived in one community and they don’t go back in forth. The truth of the matter is that that all the Native Alaskans traveled great distances. … They went to local trading centers, they interacted. They were multilingual.”

I feel that history books have to start changing in Alaska. We have to say, ‘Well look, we had a history.’ And it should preface the event of exploration, the event of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the event of fur traders and gold miners. … We need more perspective from the Native Alaskan experience, because we were here.”

Athabascan and Inupiat Alaska, ca 1800 map. Courtesy of Adeline Peter Raboff

Description of the Athabascan and Inupiat Alaska, ca 1800 map:
The Athabascan and Inupiat peoples of northern Alaska two hundred years ago identified with one of four major groupings, each tied by a common culture and language. These included Inupiaq and three Athabascan languages, Koyukon, Gwich’in, and Lower Tanana. Within each language group, subgroups formed, whose members shared similar dialects and local customs. Land holdings for each were formally delineated, but conflicts, surrendering of land, moves in response to shifting caribou ranges and other natural resource fluctuations, and expansion or contraction of populations caused shifts in who lived where.

This map shows Athabascan and Inupiat lands reflecting geographic borders and cultural identities about 1800. Boundaries were generally agreed upon and were only crossed when there was a purpose. If there was unrest between groups, to avoid conflict, they were strictly adhered to. Still, there was considerable interaction across borders: some trading, some raiding, some friendly visits, some hostile. More permanent moves across lines involved cultural adaptations. New arrivals would often adopt the language of their new home, becoming multilingual. In the east, languages were predominantly Athabascan, in the west, Inupiaq.

How to get the map:
Since it was mapped out and printed by the National Park Service, they give them away for free in various locations in Fairbanks and Anchorage. Reach out to Jeff Rasic at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/jeffrasic.htm

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Growing up, I heard stories about how connected Koyukon Athabascan people are to the Inupiat toward the western coast. It was cool to hear this was in fact a truth she verified in her research. The other cool thing was to see the indigenous place names and peoples reflected on the map. I’m looking forward to reading the book, and I hope to see her dream come true of seeing this history reflected in history books. 

Enaa baasee’, Adeline, for sharing some information and stories of the importance of this research. 

Alaska Native/Indigenous People

Poem by Crystal Dzehgak Frank

Angela Gonzalez

Crystal Dzehgak Frank and her late Shitsuu Naomi. Courtesy photo

Crystal Dzehgak Frank’s mom, Caroline Tritt-Frank, was recently featured on the Athabascan Woman Blog. Dzehgak shared her poetry with me and graciously agreed to share one of them. It is a beautiful tribute to her late grandmother or shitsuu, Naomi Tritt (Gwich’in) ~ 1926-2017. Continue reading “Poem by Crystal Dzehgak Frank” →

Alaska Native/Indigenous People, Athabascan in the Spotlight

Caroline Tritt-Frank – Gwich’in Language Educator

Angela Gonzalez

Caroline Tritt-Frank studying by headlamp. Photo by Kenneth Frank

Caroline Tritt-Frank (Gwich’in) was recently named a 2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner through the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)! I reached out to her to learn more about her and her accomplishments. UAF alumni are selected for the award based on meritorious service on behalf of UAF, distinguished accomplishments in business and professional life, or distinguished human service in community affairs. She is a lead teacher at the Fairbanks Native Association. Continue reading “Caroline Tritt-Frank – Gwich’in Language Educator” →

Alaska Native/Indigenous People

Odin Peter-Raboff – Gwich’in & Koyukon Business Owner

Angela Gonzalez

Odin Peter-Raboff. Courtesy photo

I recently ran into a friend, Odin Peter-Raboff (Gwich’in/Koyukon Athabascan). He is the owner of Nomadic Stars, and they do screen printing and create promotional items in Fairbanks. You may occasionally see them at a booth at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention and other events. He expanded his business to Anchorage recently and I asked him if he’d would share about it.

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My name is Odin Peter-Raboff. My grandfather was the late Steven Peter of Arctic Village and the late Katherine Peter of Steven’s Village, Fort Yukon and Arctic Village. My mother is Adeline Raboff of Arctic Village and Fort Yukon and my father was the late Ernest Raboff of California and New Jersey. Continue reading “Odin Peter-Raboff – Gwich’in & Koyukon Business Owner” →

Alaska Native culture

Traditional Ways of Life

Angela Gonzalez

I shared a picture of a young Gwich’in woman, Quannah Potts, on the Athabascan Woman Blog Facebook page. Quannah Potts says, “This year, I was blessed with shooting my first caribou and our future generations should have the same privilege of being able to hunt and live their ways of life.”

Someone said, “Although using rifles and snowmobiles, ATVs and the like is hardly ‘traditional’…..”

I responded by thanking him for his comment… It brings to light one of the reason I write and share on my blog. The act of spending time on the land and providing for her family is traditional. The tradition of giving parts of the caribou from first catches to Elders or other families is traditional. Alaska Native would not have survived 10,000+ years if we were not adaptable. We moved around on the land with the seasons and the availability of plants, animals, currents, cycles and conditions. We were not static people living in one certain way. I would not expect people to be driving around by horse and buggy from a century+ ago. The only people who can critique Quannah on whether or not she is traditional is her mother, grandparents and community Elders.

I’ve had conversations about what is traditional and contemporary. I say living our ways of life is traditional whether or not we use contemporary tools.

When we give our first catch to Elders or other family members despite shooting with a rifle – that’s traditional.

When we sometimes sing and dance despite it being with a fiddle – that’s traditional.

When we celebrate a memorial potlatch despite it being in a school gym vs. a community hall – that’s traditional.

When we pick berries despite using an ATV or boat – that’s traditional.

When my family fishes despite using a commercial fish net vs. a fish trap – that’s traditional.

When I bead slipper tops on smoked moose skin despite being on hard bottom moccasins – that’s traditional.

When I use beads in my beadwork introduced in the past couple of centuries despite it not being quills – that’s traditional.

When I learn and share the Denaakk’e language despite being on a paper book, by video or audio recording – that’s traditional.

When I share stories despite it being on a blog vs. oratory – that’s traditional.

What would you add? We need to continue sharing our perspectives, stories, culture, language and ways of life. Enaa baasee’.