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Mary Nelson

Mary Nelson was a Yup'ik elder from Kokhanok, Alaska. She was born in Kokhanok in 1938 to Mike and Mary Newyaka, who were some of the earliest residents in the community. Mary grew up in the village and spend summers at fish camp along the beach below Kokhanok. She lived a subsistence lifestyle relying on fishing, hunting and trapping, learned to prepare food, sew, and take care of a household from her mother, and attended a few years of school in Newhalen. She spent her life continuing the seasonal round of subsistence activities and moving back and forth between different villages and seasonal camps.

Date of Birth:

Feb 19, 1938

Mary Nelson appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Katmai National Park

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Mary Nelson, Part 1	Mary Nelson was interviewed on August 9, 1997 by Judith Morris in Kokhanok, Alaska. In this first part of a two part interview, Mary talks about her family background, her childhood in Kokhanok, living at fish camp, summer fishing activities, and learning about sewing, preparing food, and taking care of a household from her mother.	98-21-06	Katmai National Park	Aug 9, 1997
Mary Nelson, Part 2	This is the continuation of an interview with Mary Nelson on August 10, 1997 by Judith Morris in the kitchen of Mary's home in Kokhanok, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Mary talks about traveling around the Lake Iliamna area and living in different places, and seasonal subsistence activities that meant moving around to different locations, including back and forth between fish camp and Kokhanok.	98-21-09	Katmai National Park	Aug 10, 1997