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Johnson Stalker

Johnson Stalker is Iñupiaq from Buckland, Alaska. His father, John Stalker, was a reindeer herder starting in the 1940s and his uncle, Ross Stalker, herded for the government with herders like Chester Sevik and brought reindeer to Noatak. Johnson grew up helping with the reindeer herding around Buckland and "learned to read deer" instead of ever getting much formal school education. When Johnson was twenty-one years old, he partnered with his uncle Ross to manage his herd. Ross handled the business aspects and Johnson took care of the reindeer. Over the years, Johnson learned more and more about reindeer and by the 1960s he took over all aspects of the herding operation. He has also trained reindeer to be sled deer. For more about Johnson Stalker and his experience as a reindeer herder, see a presentation he made to the Western Arctic Caribou Working Group at their 2012 meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.

Johnson Stalker appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Johnson Stalker, Part 1	Johnson Stalker was interviewed on January 25, 2001 by Bill Schneider and Rose Atuk Fosdick at Johnson's home in Buckland, Alaska. Bill and Rose first visited with Johnson in the afternoon and then did the interview later that evening. In this first part of a two part interview, Johnson talks about reindeer herding, training sled deer, the mixing of caribou and reindeer contributing to herd loss, and the importance of understanding reindeer and their behavior. He summed up his attitude by saying that he never got much school but learned to "read deer," and he discusses his feeling that deer think and have a concept of "home" and try to return home. Johnson's excitement about reindeer is evident throughout the interview. Listen to Johnson Stalker sing "The Reindeer Song."	2000-102-08_PT.1	Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past	Jan 25, 2001
Johnson Stalker, Part 2	This is the continuation of an interview with Johnson Stalker on January 25, 2001 with Bill Schneider and Rose Atuk Fosdick at Johnson's home in Buckland, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Johnson continues to talk about reindeer herding, trying to control your herd, and protecting the reindeer from predators like wolves. He also talks about driving his reindeer to Nome and the difficulties he encountered along the way.	2000-102-08_PT.2	Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past	Jan 25, 2001

Interview Title

Abstract

Archive #: Oral History

Project

Date of Interview

Johnson Stalker, Part 1

Johnson Stalker was interviewed on January 25, 2001 by Bill Schneider and Rose Atuk Fosdick at Johnson's home in Buckland, Alaska. Bill and Rose first visited with Johnson in the afternoon and then did the interview later that evening. In this first part of a two part interview, Johnson talks about reindeer herding, training sled deer, the mixing of caribou and reindeer contributing to herd loss, and the importance of understanding reindeer and their behavior. He summed up his attitude by saying that he never got much school but learned to "read deer," and he discusses his feeling that deer think and have a concept of "home" and try to return home. Johnson's excitement about reindeer is evident throughout the interview.

Listen to Johnson Stalker sing "The Reindeer Song."

2000-102-08_PT.1

Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past

Jan 25, 2001

Johnson Stalker, Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview with Johnson Stalker on January 25, 2001 with Bill Schneider and Rose Atuk Fosdick at Johnson's home in Buckland, Alaska. In this second part of a two part interview, Johnson continues to talk about reindeer herding, trying to control your herd, and protecting the reindeer from predators like wolves. He also talks about driving his reindeer to Nome and the difficulties he encountered along the way.

2000-102-08_PT.2

Reindeer Herding: The Present and the Past

Jan 25, 2001