Newsletter - April 1999 Page 5

Contributing to Alaska's Federation of Natives

By A.J. McClanahan, CIRI Historian

Nick Gray's last public appearance was a riveting experience still remembered today as a life-changing moment in time by some of those who were on hand Oct. 19, 1966, to hear him.

The Seward Peninsula Eskimo, born Nov. 26, 1900 in Council City, was the son of David Gray, a Russian Jew, and Mary Kegugnuk, an Eskimo. His early experiences with discrimination made a lasting mark on him.

Gray was one of the key leaders who helped found the Cook Inlet Native Association (CINA), which eventually helped get the Alaska Federation of Natives started. Sophie Chase said she and her husband Allan, a current CIRI board member, met Gray after she saw an ad in the newspaper for a meeting of Alaska Natives at the Solarium of the Alaska Native Hospital in early 1962 or 1963. When the two showed up for the meeting, they were the only two there in addition to Gray, who had placed the ad. When that happened a second time at the next meeting, the Chases went to visit all their friends and relatives and urged them to come to Gray's meeting.

Sophie said it was Gray's message that he wanted to "elevate our people" that grabbed their attention. She said Gray was remarkably advanced in

his thinking for the time in Alaska's history. Just a few years later, Gray was within days of dying when he found himself at the historic first statewide gathering of Alaska Natives in Anchorage in 1966. It was there that he issued a challenge to each person who attended.

"A time has come when we, as men - citizens - are ready to assume responsibilities that go with citizenship as well as the benefits. We want to be able to look at any man anywhere in the world and say, 'I am as good a man as you are.' "

Gray was far from being the first Alaska Native who urged Natives to work together to fight for Native rights. Many others had come before him and made great strides. What was lacking in the earlier efforts, however, was a unified statewide organization bringing together Alaska's Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts, to name only the three main groupings of the many Alaska Native tribes and groups. And while no one person can be credited with the formation of the Alaska Federation of Natives, Gray certainly deserves mention as one of those who provided an impetus.

Anatoly Lekanof, an early member of CINA, would like to see Gray recognized for his achievement." Nick Gray. Even though he's deceased. I'd be just as happy as me getting it if I could see Nick Gray's name flashed out, saying that if it wasn't for Nick Gray the land claim issue would never have been."

(Editor's note: CIRI Historian A.J. McClanahan is gathering and researching materials related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. She welcomes comments and suggestions and can be reached at CIRI at 263-5197 or via email: ajmcclanahan@ciri.com).

ANHC Announces Special Grand Opening Event

The Alaska Native Heritage Center will be opening to the public on May 1. In celebration of its opening, the Center will be hosting a special grand opening celebration Celebrating Our Native Heritage Day on Friday, May 7th.

"This day will give our Native people an opportunity to visit the Center to help us celebrate its opening," said ANHC President and CEO Perry Eaton. "We invite all Alaska Natives to come to this 'Gathering Place' to see what we have been working on for the past several years and to come face-to-face with our staff."

Three sessions are planned to accommodate the expected three to six thousand visitors to the Center on the first grand opening day, including a morning, afternoon, and early evening program. Each fun-filled session will offer an opportunity to see the 'Welcome House' and five traditional village sites, entertainment, and refreshments. Complimentary transportation from the Northway Mall will be provided, due to limited parking at the Center. Public parking will be available at the Northway Mall only.

Four FREE admission tickets are available per person by calling Carrs Tix at (800) GRT-SEAT (478-7328) outside Anchorage or 263-ARTS in Anchorage. When ordering tickets, you must indicate which session you would like to attend. The tickets will also serve as your bus ticket from the Northway Mall.

For those that wish to attend the festivities and live outside Anchorage, several airlines are offering special fares for the weekend beginning May 7. Contact Alaska Airlines, Era Aviation and PenAir for special fare information. Alaska Airlines may be reached at (800) 426-0333, Era Aviation at (800) 866-8394, and PenAir at (800) 448-4226.

For more details about this event and program times, call the hotline at (907) 330-8095. For those with special needs, contact the ANHC guest services manager, Shari Hart, at (907) 330-8017.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a gathering place that celebrates, perpetuates, and shares Alaska Native tradition. Located 12 minutes from downtown Anchorage, the Center represents 11 distinct Alaska Native cultures in five groups through the 'Welcome House' and traditional village sites. Daily dance performances, arts, and crafts demonstrations will begin May 1.

In addition to the other seven agencies, CIRI has been instrumental in the development of the Alaska Native Heritage Center opening this spring. The Center, which encompasses a 26-acre campus, will offer a unique opportunity to learn and explore the traditional ways of Alaska Native cultures.

Visitors to the Center will be greeted at a Welcome House with interpretative displays, a theater, a gathering place for Native dance troupe performances, and concessions, while five traditional village exhibits representing the Alaska Natives cultures are found an outside lake and walking trail.

The Western Regional Indigenous Basketweavers Gathering will be held in Reno, Nevada June 17th through the 20th. Sponsored in part by the California Indian Basketweavers Association, the event will bring together hundreds of traditional, indigenous basketweavers from the 13 states west of the Rockies, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Some of the topics covered in the conference include: impact of development on traditional gathering areas, how to involve young people in basketry, and marketing influences on the traditional basketry. The gathering will also feature basketry demonstrations, talks, video showings, sales from throughout the region, and performances of traditional song and dance.

For more information about the Basketweavers Gathering, contact CIBA by calling (530) 292-0141 or via email at ciba@oro.net.