David Salmon (tribal chief) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Salmon
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| Born | 1912 Salmon Village, Alaska
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| Died | October 11, 2007 (aged 94–95) |
| Occupation | Episcopalian priest
First Traditional Chief Chief of Chalkyitsik |
Chief David Salmon (1912 – October 11, 2007) was an Indigenous leader from Alaska. He was the Chief of Chalkyitsik and later became the First Traditional Chief for the Gwich'in people. Chief Salmon was known for working hard to make his community better and to help his people.
He used his leadership to start many public projects and programs. These programs were designed to help the Gwich'in people. David Salmon also believed strongly in education. He shared his knowledge by making traditional Athabascan items and teaching his community. This helped keep their old traditions alive. At the same time, Chief Salmon became the first Episcopal priest for Interior Alaska. He spent much of his life sharing his faith.
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Early Life and Learning
David Salmon was born in 1912 in a place called Salmon Village in eastern Alaska. His father, William Salmon, started this village in 1901. When David was nine, his mother, Alice Salmon, passed away. His father then took David and his stepmom away from the village to avoid a sickness called tuberculosis.
Because his father couldn't afford to keep him, David went to an Episcopal boarding school in Fort Yukon from 1924 to 1925. There, he learned to love education and the Episcopal faith. Even after school, David kept learning. He worked with his father on a trap line, where he read books and learned from others. He got better at English, learned about different cultures, and gained skills in making tools and weapons.
His father, William, taught him about Athabascan history and culture. William wanted David to become the Traditional Chief. David learned how to make traditional Athabascan tools, like bows and canoes. He later said his father taught him how important education and community were. After 18 years with his father, David and his wife, Sarah, returned to Chalkyitsik.
Becoming a Chief
When he was 29, David Salmon became the Chief of Chalkyitsik. He used his position to improve his community. He started many public projects, like building a store, a school, and a church in Chalkyitsik. He even personally brought the logs for the school and church. Later, he brought the first Christmas tree and a traditional gathering called a potlatch to Chalkyitsik.
In 2004, after the previous chief passed away, David Salmon was chosen as the First Traditional Chief for the Athabascan people of Interior Alaska. This was an honorary title, meaning it didn't involve politics, but it showed how much respect he had from Athabascan and other Indigenous Alaskan groups.
Helping His Community
David Salmon helped start many important programs. He was a founding member of the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC). This group helps provide health and social services to Tribal members. He also helped create the Denakkanaaga, a non-profit group that helps Indigenous Elders.
Because of his own childhood, Chief Salmon strongly believed in education and practical skills. He taught the Gwich'in people traditional hunting tools and ways of life. He felt this teaching was important to keep old knowledge from being lost. He used his tool-making skills to create many old-style canoes and tools. These items are now displayed in places like the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
He also collected Athabascan artifacts and showed them at a conference in 1995. Later, in 2002, he sold his collection to a Native company called Doyon Ltd.. David Salmon also worked with a researcher named Thomas O’Brien. Together, they created books about Gwich'in Athabascan survival skills, tool making, and culture. These books shared his personal stories and knowledge.
His Faith and Beliefs
After attending Episcopal school as a child, David Salmon kept his faith strong. He even helped build a church in Fort Yukon. He went to Bible schools in Michigan and New York, where he also improved his English. In 1958, he became a Deacon. Then, in 1962, David Salmon became the first official Athabascan priest for Interior Alaska.
As a priest, David traveled for many years to lead church services. He preached in his own language and later returned to Fort Yukon and Chalkyitsik to continue his ministry. He also hosted many religious gatherings called revivals in Chalkyitsik. Even in his later years, he stayed active in his faith, attending church and studying the Bible daily.
When he was a priest, Salmon used an old Athabascan teaching method with hand signals. Each finger represented a different part of the church and faith, showing how everyone has a purpose given by God. As First Traditional Chief, he believed that ignoring traditional Indigenous laws and leadership caused problems for Indigenous people. He always gave credit for his achievements to God. He called himself a "servant" to both God and the people of Chalkyitsik, working hard to improve their lives. He also believed that education was key for Indigenous people to succeed.
Awards and Honors
Because of his important work and for being a role model, the University of Alaska Fairbanks gave David Salmon an honorary doctorate degree in 2002.
In 2005, a children's storybook called Alaska's Little Chief was written about him by Judy Ferguson. The story is about a young David and animals from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. After he passed away, the Tanana Chiefs Conference named one of their tribal halls in Fairbanks the "David Salmon Tribal Hall" in his honor.
Family
David Salmon learned about his grandfather, King Salmon (also called Luk Choo), and his brother, Bull Moose. They were said to be very strong and kind. King Salmon built a fur trading post in Fort Yukon in 1847 and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. David's father, William Salmon, also worked for the Hudson's Bay Company.
David Salmon was married to Sarah Salmon for 59 years. She traveled with him during all his time as a priest and chief. They had one son, William Salmon, and an adopted daughter, Sarah Henry. They also had five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. One of his grandsons, Woodie Salmon, became an Alaska state representative.
Passing Away
In the summer of 2007, David Salmon was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away at his home in Chalkyitsik on October 11, 2007, at the age of 95. He was supposed to speak at the 2007 Alaska Federation of Natives convention ten days after he died. Don Honea Sr. took his place as speaker.
His funeral at St. Christopher Episcopal Church combined Athabascan and Christian traditions. To honor him, Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin, ordered that all Alaskan flags be lowered to half-staff. She said that Alaska had lost a respected leader. After his death, the Salmon family received many messages of sympathy from all over Alaska and the United States. Five days after he passed away, on October 15, 2007, he was buried next to his wife in a cemetery near his home in Chalkyitsik.
Images for kids
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Chief David Salmon
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Map showing Chalkyitsik, Alaska
