DICHINANEK' HWT'ANA: A History of the people of the Upper Kuskokwim who live in Nikolai and Telida, Alaska. By: Raymond L. Collins, Edited by: Sally Jo Collins McGrath, Alaska September 2000, Revised January 2004 1 Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Common Heritage ........................................................................................................................... 7 Pattern of Life ............................................................................................................................... 11 Stories Which Illustrate the Pattern of Life .............................................................................. 15 Capture .................................................................................................................................. 15 Summer Trips to the Mountains ........................................................................................... 16 As Told By Miska Deaphon ................................................................................................. 16 Jim Nikolai's Story ................................................................................................................ 23 Bobby Esai's Story ................................................................................................................ 24 Political and Social Organization.............................................................................................. 29 Russian Period .............................................................................................................................. 31 Initial Contact............................................................................................................................ 31 Lt. Lavernity Zagoskin Expedition ........................................................................................... 33 Father Illarion............................................................................................................................ 37 American Period ........................................................................................................................... 40 American Contact ..................................................................................................................... 40 Josiah E. Spurr Expedition ........................................................................................................ 40 Captain Edwin F. Glenn: Cook Inlet Exploring Expedition ..................................................... 42 Lt. Joseph S. Herron Expedition ............................................................................................... 44 George Byron Gordon’s Trip Down the Kuskokwim............................................................... 49 Trade ......................................................................................................................................... 51 Gold Rush ................................................................................................................................. 54 Airplanes ................................................................................................................................... 59 Starvation, Sickness and Health Care ....................................................................................... 62 Russian Orthodox Church ......................................................................................................... 65 World War II ............................................................................................................................. 69 Telida ............................................................................................................................................ 71 Foundation of Telida Village .................................................................................................... 71 Telida Village Stories ............................................................................................................... 78 Ts'ek'its'a Kwnja' ................................................................................................................... 78 2 A Time of Hunger ................................................................................................................. 79 Barbara’s Story ..................................................................................................................... 79 Telida School ............................................................................................................................ 81 Families of Telida and East Fork .............................................................................................. 82 Historic Families at Telida .................................................................................................... 82 East Fork Village .................................................................................................................. 83 Contemporary Families at Telida.......................................................................................... 84 Nikolai........................................................................................................................................... 99 Nikolai Village Relocates ......................................................................................................... 99 Tonzona Village .................................................................................................................... 99 Old Nikolai - Holten's Trading Post and Roadhouse ............................................................ 99 Nikolai School ........................................................................................................................ 101 Incorporation ........................................................................................................................... 112 Firefighting ............................................................................................................................. 114 Some Family Histories ............................................................................................................ 116 Chief Nikolai’s Family ....................................................................................................... 116 Alexia Family...................................................................................................................... 123 Dennis Family ..................................................................................................................... 127 Esai Family ......................................................................................................................... 132 Elia / Wassily Families ....................................................................................................... 138 Bobby Esai .......................................................................................................................... 140 Gregory Family ................................................................................................................... 142 Pitka Family ........................................................................................................................ 147 Relationship to Denali Park ........................................................................................................ 149 Future Research .......................................................................................................................... 152 References ................................................................................................................................... 153 3 Introduction Nikolai-Telida Village History Report When I was contacted by the Native Village Councils of Nikolai and Telida and asked to write their histories I was very pleased. I have been living in this area for over 35 years and have accumulated a wealth of information so this is an opportunity to share it with the people of these communities. It is not possible to separate the history of the two communities as they have so much in common in terms of kinship, language, and culture. Therefore, I began the report with a description of their common heritage. This is followed by accounts of how their world was changed, first by contact with the Russians and then with the Americans. The two communities are then dealt with individually as to their origin and development. The families are placed in the community to which they are most closely associated. This was a difficult task since people continually moved around prior to the establishment of schools. Since Nikolai had the first school, most younger residents have spent more time there. The school is specifically mentioned because it played a critical role in the movement of people. Miska Nikolai, who grew up in the Nikolai area, moved to Telida to marry Barbara Jocko. When the school opened in Nikolai they moved there so their children could attend. When their children completed school and married some of them moved back to Telida and this later led to the opening of a school at Telida for their children. Now that the Telida school has closed, the families are back in Nikolai. The Gregory brothers from Vinasale married women from Nikolai but lived in Vinasale. When the school opened in Nikolai they relocated there. The Esais moved up from Big River