Henry Jackson Sr.: Interview Outline: Section 10 What the younger people should know about Kiana and its history Tape Reference Number: H2002-09-01 Henry Jackson Sr. talks with Bill Schneider, Hazel Apok, and Eileen Devinney in Kiana, Alaska on February 27, 2002.

Bill Schneider: What are some of the things you think that young kids should know growing up about Kiana and the history of the place?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, they should learn how to survive. That's the main thing, learn how to survive, you know. Hunt, fish, and work at home, you know. Not stealing, not -- not bothering anybody. Vandalism right now is bad. Too many vandalism.

Bill Schneider: Do you think those survival skills are still important?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Eileen Devinney: Do you think most kids aren't learning them anymore?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: What was that?

Eileen Devinney: Do you think most kids aren't learning them any longer?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, they -- if you teach them, they learn. Yeah.

Bill Schneider: Who are some of the old-timers that we should remember? Important people in the history.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, John Mellon an old storekeeper there, owns the store.

Bill Schneider: Uh-hum.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: He was an honest man, I guess.

Bill Schneider: He was a storekeeper here?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yes.

Bill Schneider: Uh-hum.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: When I was growing up, he was the storekeeper there. 'Til Blankenship put up his store there. Walter Blankenship.

Bill Schneider: Uh-hum.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Then later that Schuerchs built his store there which Dorsey bought from Scheurchs. They got native store at Noorvik, was there a long time ago, before I was born, I guess.

Bill Schneider: Goes way back, huh?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Uh-hum. They had a hospital there, too, in Noorvik (map), you know. And nice.

Bill Schneider: I guess that community had a different type of history, though, huh?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: No.

Bill Schneider: No?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: It's the same. Same as here. History is about the same.

Bill Schneider: Who started that place, Noorvik?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: I don't know. They -- they say they moved -- moved down there from Oksik. Oksik, that's where they were living there. And from Oksik to there they moved to Noorvik. I don't know what year.

Bill Schneider: Uh-hum.

Hazel Apok: Maybe we sure would have [Inupiaq] if it was still in Oksik, right down here.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. Right down here.

Hazel Apok: Not very far, about what, maybe about 12 miles.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: 12 miles maybe.

Hazel Apok: The original Noorvik was. Uh-hum.

Eileen Devinney: Was it on this side of the river the same as Kiana (map) or the other side?

Hazel Apok: The other side.

Eileen Devinney: Oh.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Between here and Noorvik there's an old place there they call it Oksik.

Bill Schneider: And that's an old village site?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. I think the old village site caved in. Water, you know. Every spring it caved in. And if you look down there I think you can see - still can see where old people lived you know. Yeah.

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