Age: 76.
Tribe, moiety, clan: Tlingit, Eagle, Wolf.
Residency: Juneau.
Positions: Retired.
Hobbies: Reading, collecting books and coins.
Quote: "I have been many things in the Tlingit-Haida Central Council. I helped reorganize the organization ... I was part of the group that started the reorganization. I am glad that there are so many that are not ashamed of being a Native person or part of the ethnic group.
"For many years, even though people would disagree with me on the language issue, I blamed it on the religious organization that being Native of any kind was heathenism - we were heathens - and that we were forbidden to speak our Native languages. They needed to Christianize us and banned our language. It was a crime to the non-Native world to be speaking Native."
The Juneau Empire will profile a different member of Juneau's Alaska Native community each day during November. To be profiled, e-mail editor@juneauempire.com. Please include a name and phone number.
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