By Stephanie Brown, Assistant Archivist & Zachary Jones, Archivist
Title: Juneau First Americans Emphasis Week Recordings Collection, 1978-1984
ID: MC/018
Primary Creator: Capital Community Broadcasting, Inc. (KTOO)
Other Creators: Peck, Cyrus Jr., Tlingit Indians.
Extent: 1.0 Boxes
Date Acquired: 09/24/2010
The Juneau First Americans Emphasis Week was a celebration of Native culture that occurred in Juneau, Alaska between 1978 and 1984. It was a undertaking aimed to provide Alaska Native youth to learn more about their culture in the school setting, and was directed by Alaska Natives during the era of Self-Determination. As part of the Juneau First Americans Emphasis Week celebrations, various Native elders would address those present on a wide variety of topics of interest to Alaska Natives, including culture, spirituality, language, and even lands land rights.
The concept of a First Americans Emphasis Week was national program that emerged from the Johnson O'Malley Program prior to its observance in Juneau. The organizers of the Juneau First Americans Emphasis Week program worked replicate the national program but tailor it to local Native cultures. Since the Johnson O'Malley Program had already been implemented in Juneau’s elementary schools, as the Juneau Indian Studies Program, Juneau organizers used this established program to springboard the first Juneau First Americans Emphasis Week, held in March of 1978. Juneau’s First Americans Emphasis Week celebrations were held at the Marie Drake Middle School gymnasium. For those unable to attend the events in person, a recording of the events were often made and after the celebration the recording was broadcast via radio by KTOO-FM in Juneau. Most of these recordings were made at the behest of KTOO-FM for broadcast purposes, with Cyrus Peck Jr. reporting for KTOO-FM, while others may have been Cyrus Peck Jr.’s own voluntary recording work.
Repository: Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives
Use Restrictions: Intellectual Properties Note: Since SHI adheres to the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, and since we desire to honor Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian traditional cultural belief that clans retain the intellectual property rights to clan stories or songs, patrons who use or study clan songs or stories are asked to credit clan ownership to stories and songs.
Acquisition Source: Cyrus Peck Jr.
Acquisition Method: The recordings and paper materials in this collection were donated to Sealaska Heritage Institute by Cy Peck, Jr. on September 24, 2010. To mark the donation a special ceremony was held in Juneau, during which several people involved in First Americans Emphasis Week over the years spoke. Noted Tlingit elder and clan house leader Cyril George Sr. spoke as an honored guest.
Item 1: Audio recording of Charlie Joseph, Maria Teenmeyer, Cy Peck Jr. and others speaking about preparations for the first First Americans Emphasis Week. Labeled as Tape 1. 1978. Format CD. H90-14-01.
Item 2: Audio recording of Sitka Dancers, Chilkat Dancers, Saxman Dancers, Angoon dancers, Walter Williams and his aunts singing and dancing, description of Potlatch regalia. Cy Peck, Jr. narrating. Labeled as Tape 2, Side A.1978. Side A. Format CD. H90-14-02-01.
Item 3: Audio recording of Angoon dancers, description of a traditional clan blanket. Labeled as Tape 2, Side B. 1978. Format CD. H90-14-02-02.
Item 4: Audio recording of KTOO’s live broadcast of the 1979 1st Americans Emphasis Week, featuring Wrangell/Stikine Dancers, Mike Harper, Sitka Dancers. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-03.
Item 5: Audio recording of Cy Peck telling Tlingit legends, Dr. Walter Soboleff, and Cy Peck Sr. Labeled as Tape 2, Part 1. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-04-01.
Item 6: Audio recording of discussion of Native Alaskans adapting to White culture. Description of medicine dance, and Sitka dancers. Labeled as Reel 4, Part 2. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-04-2.
Item 7: Audio recording of 2nd annual First American’s emphasis week, Saxman Dancers, Cy Peck speaking about the preservation of Native Culture. Labeled as Reel 5, Part 3. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-04-3.
Item 8: Audio recording of Sitka Dancers, Cape Fox Dancers, Cy Peck speaking about the preservation of Native culture. Labeled as Reel 7, Part 4. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-04-04.
Item 9: Audio recording of Cy Peck describing ceremonial regalia and its meaning, Navajo dancers, Dr. Walter Soboleff. Labeled as Reel 8. 1979. Format CD. H90-14-05.
Item 10: Audio recording of discussion of Indian spiritual beliefs and description of an Indian wedding. Labeled as Tape 1. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-06.
Item 11: Audio recording of the story of Haines Dancers, the worm story, Tlingit identity, folk singers, description of a Potlatch ceremony, interview with Cecilia Kuntz speaking about her work in the Juneau School District. Labeled as Tape 2. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-07.
Item 12: Audio recording of Audio recording of music selections by Maccu Picchu band, and a discussion of the common ancestry of many Indians. Labeled as Tape 3. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-08.
Item 13: Audio recording of Juneau student dancers, and Cy Peck speaking about rights to clan songs. Hoonah Dancers, and Mt. Fairweather dancers. Labeled as Tape 1, Side A. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-09-01.
Item 14: Audio recording of Juneau and Ketchikan Dancers, Mt. Fairweather dancers, Cape Fox Dancers, discussion of native jewelry for sale, performance of the Raven Dance. Commentary by Dr. Walter Soboleff and Louis Menard. Labeled as Tape 1, Side B. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-09-02.
Item 15: Cape Fox dancers performing the Welcome Dance, Memorial Dance, Beaver Dance, Paddle Dance and Ginowa dance, Juneau dancers, interview with Stella Martin. Labeled as Tape 2, Part 1 Side A. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-10-01.
Item 16: Audio recording of Mt. Fairweather dancers, interview with Elsie Craft, description of native dances and songs, interview with Cy Peck Jr. speaking about the various tribes attending First Americans Emphasis Week, and Tlingit spirituality, interview with Mary Choat speaking about Native beadwork. Labeled as Tape 2, Part 1 Side B. 1981. Format CD. Duplicate of item 10. H90-14-10-02.
Item 17: Audio recording of performance by Haines Dancers, with commentary by Dr. Walter Soboleff, interview of Ray Peck speaking about the origins of First Americans Emphasis Week. Labeled as Part 2. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-10-03.
Item 18: Audio recording of introduction of Haines dancers, discussion of Chilkat blankets, interview with Richard Shields and Cecilia Kuntz. Labeled as Tape 3, Part 1 Side A. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-11-01.
Item 19: Audio recording of performances by Juneau folk singers, interview with Dr. Walter Soboleff, interview with Vicki Marvin of the Heenya dancers. Labeled as Tape 3, Part 1, Side B. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-11-02.
Item 20: Audio recording of Mt. Fairweather Dancers, from Hoonah, interview with Ray Webber. Labeled as Tape 3, Part 2. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-11-03.
Item 21: Audio recording of Ketchikan dancers, Cape Fox dancers, Kake Dancers. Tape 4. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-12.
Item 22: Audio recording of Cy Peck Sr. introducing the Peru based band Macchu Picchu, Juneau Student Dancers. Labeled as Tape 5, Side A. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-13-01.
Item 23: Audio recording of a performance by the Kake Dancers. Labeled as Tape 5, Side B. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-13-02.
Item 24: Audio recording of Ray Gonzalez describing intertribal dancers, description of a Tlingit wedding, a performance by Juneau student dancers. Labeled as Tape 6. 1981. Format CD. H90-14-14.
Item 25: Audio recording of a reenactment of a blanket repatriation ceremony, interview with Cy Peck Jr. and Cyril George speaking about the purpose of First Americans Emphasis Week, describing traditional Clan regalia and a new cultural center opening in Angoon, reenactment of a blanket repatriation ceremony. Labeled as Tape 1, Side A. 1983. Format CD. H90-14-15-01.
Item 26: Audio recording of dancing and singing by Juneau ANS Camp #2, speech by Chief Austin Hammond. Labeled as Tape 1, Side B. 1983. Format CD. H90-14-15-02.
Item 27: Audio recording of translator Emily Williams describing Tlingit customs, including the Potlatch and traditional dress, performance by Haines dancers. Labeled as Tape 2, Side A. 1983. Format CD. H90-14-16-01.
Item 28: Audio recording of traditional Tlingit songs, dealing with a variety of subjects. Labeled as Tape 2, Side B. 1983. Format CD. H90-14-16-02.
Item 29: Audio recording of Runalda Cadiente discussing the differences between Alaska Natives and Native Americans in the “Lower 48,” Mt. St. Elias Dancers, Mt. Fairweather Dancers, etc. 1984. Format CD. H90-14-17.
Item 30: Audio recording of Angoon dancers, information on Tlingit-Athabascan relations and Tlingit Clan traditions. 1984. Format CD. H90-14-18.
Item 31: Audio recording of a performance by Hawaiian dancers and singers. 1984. Format CD. H90-14-19.
Item 32: DVD of reflections on first Americans Emphasis Week, and some film footage of dancing, interviews, and commentary on goings on at First Americans Emphasis week in 1978 and 1979. 2004. Format DVD.
