Return to the interview page

Goodwin Semaken Sr.

Mike Spindler interviewed Goodwin Semaken Sr. in Kaltag on February 5, 2001. The interview was edited and produced by Clinton Brown.

GOODWIN SEMAKEN SR. was born December 22, 1922 in Kaltag. His mother Lizzy Amelia, was Inupiat and his father George Semaken was Koyukon, so Goodwin was has relatives from two cultures. Goodwin's parents moved to Kaltag the year he was born and that was the same year Kaltag moved to it's current site. His family lived a subsistence lifestyle so consequently, he was only able to go to school until about 4th grade. Goodwin married Florence Madros and they raised eleven children, six boys and five girls. Goodwin has seen many changes in his lifetime, but all the things he learned as a child in Kaltag have carried him through the years.

The goal of Raven's Story is to record elders' stories, observations, and experiences relating to wildlife, fish, and subsistence in the Koyukuk and middle Yukon areas of interior Alaska. This Raven's Story was produced by Clinton Brown at public radio station KIYU-AM in Galena, Alaska, with the support of Louden Tribal Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Click on an audio link below to listen to a story.
H2004-01-22
1) Bear Story Part 1 (5:26)
2) Bear Story Part 2 (3:06)
3) Bear Story Part 3 (3:52)
4) Bear Story Part 4 (4:15)
5) Living off the Country (2:53)
6) Hunting for Food (3:05)
7) First Time Caribou Hunting (5:10)
8) Hunting Caribou in the Old Days (3:39)
9) Hunting Geese and Ducks (4:48)
10) Moose Population Change in Kaltag Area (4:52)
11) Salmon (4:37)
12) Sled Dogs (3:40)
13) Taking Care of Sled Dogs (3:37)
14) Stick Dance (6:09)
15) Wolves (2:48)
16) Drugs and Alcohol (3:22)
 
Project Jukebox Home | Raven Home | Interview Page