Photographs belonging to Martin Smith that were made available for the Kiana Village History Project Jukebox.
Walter Cook, Sr.
Walter Cook, Sr. was born in Kiana on February 18, 1940. He was adopted by Harry and Belle Cook from Elsie Stoney Hunnicutt. Walter grew up in Kiana and had three brothers and two sisters. He attended school in Kiana through the 6th grade and left during his 7th grade year. During his life, Walter has held a variety of jobs and worked in several different locations. For a time, he was a member of the Alaska National Guard. He has also worked as a seasonal fire fighter for the Bureau of Land Management, and in the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay and Valdez. Walter has been a Kiana Bluff Jumpers Search & Rescue member for a number of years and became involved with the Kiana Elders Council, where he served as president. In 1965, Walter married Blanche Sun (originally from Shungnak) and they had four children. They also raised several of their grandchildren and taught them the proper methods and procedures in subsistence hunting and fishing. His grandson, Walter Cook III, will have the opportunity to pass on this knowledge to his generation and for those who follow. Walter Cook, Sr. passed away in 2004 at age 63.