Lena Farkas and Nellie Lord were interviewed by Bill Schneider on July 11, 1995 at the National Park Service office in Yakutat, Alaska. This is the second interview conducted by William Schneider with Nellie Lord. She set up the interviews and in this one was joined by her sister, Lena Farkas. Lena tells the migration story of the people who came from Copper Center and both women demonstrate how this is depicted on beaded blankets and jackets.
Digital Asset Information
Project: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park
Date of Interview: Jul 11, 1995
Narrator(s): Nellie Lord, Lena Farkas
Interviewer(s): Bill Schneider
Themes
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Sections
1) Introduction and the different clans in Yakutat
2) Origins of the Yakutat clans
3) The blanket migration story
4) Description of a Mount St. Elias crest blanket made by Lena and Nellie's mother
5) The Copper River Staff and the care of blankets
6) Interaction with people from the Copper River area
7) A dance shirt made by Nellie and Lena's mother
8) Description of a Diving Raven Dance shirt made for Dick Henry by Emma Johnson
9) Description of another Diving Raven dance shirt
10) Description of a dance shirt made by Marie Shodda
11) Description of a dance shirt that belongs to Lena's grandson
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Transcript
Section 1: Lord, Nellie\ Farkas, Lena\ clans -- Eagle\ clans -- Raven\ clans -- houses\ (Bell) House\ Bear House\ Shark House\ Bear Paw House\ Thunderbird House\ Beaver House\ clans -- Kuskokan\ Owl House\ Loon House\ (Fort) House\ Mount Fairweather House\ Boulder House
Section 2: Dry Bay\ crests -- Thunderbird\ (Ahrnklin) River\ Situk River\ Lost River\ Yakutat Bay\ Katalla Bay\ crests -- Beaver\ crests -- Golden Eagle\ Bear Paw House\ clans -- Raven\ Raven's Bone House\ Icy Bay\ Copper River -- migrations\ crests -- Owl\ Moon House\ (Fort) House\ Dry Bay\ Italio River\ Boulder House\ Auke Bay\ St. Elias\ Icy Bay
Section 3: migrations\ Copper River\ Ahtna\ Copper Platter\ Moose Dish Platter\ Mount St. Elias\ Icy Bay\ potlatch\ houses -- construction\ (Fort) House\ Owl House\ Raven Bone House\ Knight Island\ Humpy Creek\ land -- sales\ migrations\ Yakutat\ (Kantak) Island\ Moon House\ Moon Posts\ runways\ Lost River\ Kantak Island\ Old Village -- Yakutat\ Moon Posts\ Moon House\ Smithsonian Institution
Section 4: crests -- Mount St. Elias\ Johnson, Emma\ blanket -- description\ weather -- forecasts\ crests -- Moon\ crests -- Northstar
Section 5: Copper River Staff\ Farkas, Lena -- brother Charles\ blankets -- locations\ walking staffs -- locations\ caretakers\ objects of cultural patrimony
Section 6: Copper Diggers\ Copper River\ slaves -- purchasing\ copper -- barter\ copper -- dishes\ copper -- plates\ copper -- shields\ copper -- medium of exchange\ name giving\ Mount St. Elias
Section 7: blankets -- construction\ felt\ buttons\ buttons -- pearl\ buttons -- abalone\ trading -- blankets\ wool -- blanket panels\ blankets -- prestige\ blankets -- identification
Section 8: Johnson, Emma\ Henry, Dick\ St. Elias Dance group\ dance shirts -- designs\ Diving Raven\ beads\ kelp\ spirits\ salmon -- humpies
Section 9: dance shirts\ Diving Raven\ beads -- design\ kelp\ spirits\ salmon\ sea urchins
Section 10: dance shirts\ Shodda, Marie\ belts\ Hanson, Ramona\ Farkas, Lena -- daughter\ designs -- salmon\ beads -- design\ Porter, Mary Ann\ Mount St. Elias\ moose hide
Section 11: dance shirts\ White, Charlie\ White, Jennie\ St. Elias Dance Group\ designs -- Raven\ shirts -- description\ belts\ Farkas, Lena -- son\ Farkas, Lena -- grandson