Thursday, November 5, 2009

One Elders View

Ilegvak, N. (2005). Akiahack-then and now. Retrieved November 5 2009 from 

http://jukebox.uaf.edu/yupiit/akiachak/audio/0738_nmoses/0738_05.mp3

Nellie Ilegvak (Fritz) Moses was born on November 15, 1934. On the 12th of October in the year 2005, Louann Rank, Marla Statscewich, Sophie Kasyulie, Frank Chingliak and Mary Frederick interviewed her in her home in Akiachak. During this interview she was talking about the story knives. She said that these story knives were made out of ivory carved by their fathers. They also got their story knives from strips of metal, "strapping." She also included that they used the metal wire that was on the coffee cans as curlers.

When she was a young girls she would story knife with other young girls in the community. They would tell stories of what actually happened to them that day. This was like their way of giving out news. As she grew up and became a grandmother, she noticed that when her grandchildren write a paper, they are doing the same thing as what they used to when she was a young girl.

When she was in high school her and her friends would use single piece of paper and a pencil. They would go around and tell their story and draw what they were saying. After telling and drawing their story they would erase it and then the next girl would go.

The symbols were learned by observation, is what Moses says. She would observe older women telling stories and what the symbols they would use to help them tell their story.

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