Henry Jackson Sr.: Interview Outline: Section 4 Dog team mail carriers 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: Do you remember any of the dog team mail carriers in this country?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. I was about 9 or 10 years old when the mail carrier came in. Bunch of dogs, lots of dogs. 16, 20 dogs, I guess. I think his name was Murphy. Some Eskimo from Kotzebue. Murphy. I forget his last name. [Itauqsauraq?].

Hazel Apok: Uh-hum. I -- I wrote it down somewhere. Itauqsauraq.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Itauqsauraq.

Hazel Apok: Uh-hum.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: I think he was a -- he was mail carrier. Also I think Harry Panuk -- Panuk. Harry Panuk, wasn't he --

Hazel Apok: Yes.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: -- a mail carrier, too. At the time.

Hazel Apok: How often would they come?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: I think once a month. That's when we would get our mail, once a month.

Hazel Apok: Uh-hum. Just mail?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Just mail, yeah.

Bill Schneider: And what was their route? Where were they headed?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, Noor -- Kotzebue to Noorvik (map), from Noorvik to here. Then from here to Selawik (map), I guess. Then up to Shungnak (map), Kobuk (map), and then back again. That's a long trip, you know. Hardly any trail, they had to break their own trail. When it's storm comes, you know, they spent a few days in one tent, I guess. Storm bound.

Hazel Apok: Where would people get mail from? Where what kind of mail did they get in them days?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Chicago. Massachusetts. I think the mail comes by boat, summertime.

Hazel Apok: Somebody mentioned Sears and Roebuck catalog they used to get.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. Them, too. Walter Fields. Montgomery.

Hazel Apok: Uh-hum.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, what else do you want to know?

Bill Schneider: Yeah. That's -- that's pretty interesting about those old dog team carriers.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. Yeah.

Bill Schneider: There aren't very many people that can talk about them, you now?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Well, they -- they did all coastline all the way to Barrow, from Kotzebue all the way to Barrow, follow the coastline, I guess.

Bill Schneider: Yeah. I think --

Henry Jackson, Sr.: From out there all the way back again, you know. Dog team. Mail carriers.

Bill Schneider: Yeah, I think Jonas was talking about Faye Nusunginya's husband was a -- was a mail carrier?

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah.

Bill Schneider: From Barrow down this way.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. I think so.

Bill Schneider: Yeah. Then the airplane came in.

Henry Jackson, Sr.: Yeah. I don't know when the mail plane came in. I don't know. I don't remember.

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