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Mark Jacobs

Mark Jacobs, Jr. (Gusteiheen) was a Tlingit elder who was born in 1923 to Annie (Paul) and Mark Jacobs in Sitka, Alaska. He was a member of the Dakl'aweidi (Killer Whale) Clan. His Tlingit names were Saa.aat', Keet w', Oode'ishk'aduneek and Gusteiheen. A noted historian, he was the last male speaker of his lineage and house-group. He enjoyed speaking Tlingit with others and telling stories. After having served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he graduated from Sheldon Jackson School in 1947. Mark worked as a commercial fisherman with his father, and was involved in construction and blasting of many of the roads around Sitka. Mark became an active member of the Alaska Native Brotherhood where he worked on Alaska Native Land Claims and became increasingly involved in statewide Native issues and politics. He served for over 34 years on the Executive Council of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and was on the Sealaska board of directors. He also was involved with a wide variety of civic affairs in Sitka. As a Tlingit culture bearer, Mark Jacobs, Jr. was regularly consulted about Tlingit history, language, and traditional knowledg. He passed away in 2005. For more about Mark Jacobs, Jr. see his obituary in the Anchorage Daily News newspaper.

Date of Birth:

Nov 28, 1923

Date of Death:

Jan 13, 2005

Mark Jacobs appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Sitka National Historical Park

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Mark Jacobs Jr. Part 1 & 2	Mark Jacobs Jr. was interviewed on December 21, 1998 by Kristen Griffin and Robi Craig at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska offices in Sitka, Alaska. Mark Jacobs was an experienced interviewee. He was poised, spoke loudly and clearly, and covered topics of great diversity. While speaking about the Sitka National Historical Park, Mr. Jacobs traveled up and down the coast of southeastern Alaska in a manner that would prove confusing to those outside of his culture. But, it made perfect sense when, as Mr. Jacobs was, you are steeped in traditional Tlingit culture and you understand the web it casts over all of history, geography and genealogy in Southeast Alaska. Mr. Jacobs was dressed in a collared plaid shirt tucked into pressed jeans. His gray and white hair was carefully combed back from his face, and he wore glasses and a hearing aid. He was in his 70s and was "as sharp as a tack." In this interview, Mark covers an enormous amount of material about traditional Tlingit culture and Tlingit connections with and use of the area of Sitka National Historical Park, the 1804 Battle between the Kiks.ádi clan and Russian troops at the Fort Site, and the history of Sitka. Kiks.ádi clan leader Al Perkins gave his permission for this non-Kiks.ádi telling of the Kiks.ádi battle story to be included. He provides a lot of detail about Tlingit traditions and connections with and use of the park, including mention of the devil tree in the Park, installation of totem poles, and changes in Indian River. He also discusses the relationship between the park and community of Sitka, the Cottages Community, and land claims conflicts.	98-39-05_PT.1_Pt.2	Sitka National Historical Park	Dec 21, 1998

Interview Title

Abstract

Archive #: Oral History

Project

Date of Interview

Mark Jacobs Jr. Part 1 & 2

Mark Jacobs Jr. was interviewed on December 21, 1998 by Kristen Griffin and Robi Craig at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska offices in Sitka, Alaska. Mark Jacobs was an experienced interviewee. He was poised, spoke loudly and clearly, and covered topics of great diversity. While speaking about the Sitka National Historical Park, Mr. Jacobs traveled up and down the coast of southeastern Alaska in a manner that would prove confusing to those outside of his culture. But, it made perfect sense when, as Mr. Jacobs was, you are steeped in traditional Tlingit culture and you understand the web it casts over all of history, geography and genealogy in Southeast Alaska. Mr. Jacobs was dressed in a collared plaid shirt tucked into pressed jeans. His gray and white hair was carefully combed back from his face, and he wore glasses and a hearing aid. He was in his 70s and was "as sharp as a tack." In this interview, Mark covers an enormous amount of material about traditional Tlingit culture and Tlingit connections with and use of the area of Sitka National Historical Park, the 1804 Battle between the Kiks.ádi clan and Russian troops at the Fort Site, and the history of Sitka. Kiks.ádi clan leader Al Perkins gave his permission for this non-Kiks.ádi telling of the Kiks.ádi battle story to be included. He provides a lot of detail about Tlingit traditions and connections with and use of the park, including mention of the devil tree in the Park, installation of totem poles, and changes in Indian River. He also discusses the relationship between the park and community of Sitka, the Cottages Community, and land claims conflicts.

98-39-05_PT.1_Pt.2

Sitka National Historical Park

Dec 21, 1998