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Frederick Theodore "Ted" Angasan, Sr.

Ted Angasan, Sr.

Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr. is a Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) elder from South Naknek, Alaska. His parents were Vera and Trefon Angasan, Sr., who was a survivor of the 1912 volcanic eruption of Mt. Katmai after which he and his family fled from their home village of Savonoski to to a location they named New Savonoski, and eventually to South Naknek. Mary Jane Nielsen is Ted's younger sister. Ted grew up living a traditional subsistence lifestyle where he learned to hunt, fish and trap from his parents and grandparents. Reliance on harvesting of food from the land and waters was a key part of their survival. Ted has continued to be an active subsistence hunter and fisherman throughout his life, and has served his commuity on a variety of boards, including the Alaska Peninsula Corporation, the Naknek Tribal Council, and representing the Bristol Bay Native Association on the board of the Rural Alaska Community Action Program.
Frederick Theodore "Ted" Angasan, Sr. appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
South Naknek Place Name Map
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr., Part 1

Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr. was interviewed on January 26, 1998 by Pat Partnow and Mary Jane Nielsen, Ted's younger sister, in Mary Jane's kitchen at her home in South Naknek, Alaska. The three of them sat at the table looking at a map of the area as Ted recalled his subsistence activities, including past use of areas that are now within Katmai National Park, and pointed out specific locations and landmarks. In this first part of a two part interview, Ted talks about fishing, hunting bears, moose and caribou, trapping beavers, and collecting seagull eggs. He also talks about learning traditional skills and values from his parents and grandparents, and listening to their old stories as he was growing up. He stresses the importance of knowing your Native culture and traditional practices, and eating traditional Native foods.

 98-22-01 Katmai National Park Jan 26, 1998
Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr., Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview with Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr. on January 28, 1998 by Pat Partnow and Mary Jane Nielsen, Ted's younger sister, in Mary Jane's kitchen at her home in South Naknek, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Ted wanted to continue the interview in order to include information he had remembered since the first interview on January 26, 1998. He and Mary Jane reminisced about their grandmother, Pelagia Melgenak, and grandfather ("Taata"), One-Arm Nick Melgenak, and the experiences they shared at the fishcamp at Kittiwik on Lake Naknek. In this interview, Ted continues to talk about his subsistence activites, including seal and beluga whale hunting, collecting clams, picking and using a variety of plants, ice fishing, and trapping. He discusses the traditions associated with these seasonal activities and how the resources were used. He also talks about the influence of his grandparents on his behavior, values, and beliefs.

 98-22-03 Katmai National Park Jan 28, 1998