Back To The Basics: Elders Talk About Getting Water In The Copper River Valley

COUNTRY JOURNAL HISTORIC INTERVIEWS 

WATER, WATER...

 

Workers post in front of new 100,000 gallon village water storage tank at Gulkana Village in September, 1992. From left: Frank George, Harry Ewan, Penny Ewan, Larry Ewan, Ron Frank & Pat Johnny. (Country Journal file photo)

Ruby Sinyon Of Chistochina

Water From The Creek

"We get water in buckets. From the creek. It's spring water, running right by, off the hill. Sometimes beavers are moving in, but they didn't last long. They moved away. It's running in the winter time. It's not frozen."   

-- Copper River Country Journal, October 1987

Peter Tyone of Gulkana

I Get Water In The Village

"I get water in the village here. Sometimes I get water down at Tazlina. I think it's good water down there. I used to get water from the river a long time ago..."

-- Copper River Country Journal, October 1987

 

Eileen Ewan of Gulkana

They'd Let The Sand Settle & Boil It For Tea

"My mother had to haul water a long ways with the dog team. We used to drink river water. Most of the ice they'd bring. They'd melt ice and make the water. And in the summer, we used to drink the Copper River water. They'd carry a bunch of water up from the river, and let the sand settle in to the bottom, and pour it back into another bucket, and let it settle again. Then they'd boil it for tea. They'd cook with it."  

-- Copper River Country Journal, August 1994

 

This is an ongoing, original series of interviews and photographs from the Copper River Country Journal, celebrating Native Heritage Month, November 2020.