G á s a á a n • X a a d a s • G u u s u u • P r o j e c t
( K a s a a n • E l d e r s • S p e a k )

In 2001, KHHF developed a project entitled "Gásaáan Xaadas Guusuu" or "Kasaan Haida Elders Speak," in order to gather and preserve the oral testimonies of seven remaining Kasaan Haida elders. After receiving a grant from Alaska Humanities Forum, we conducted a series of both audio and video recordings in Kasaan and Ketchikan. Our aim was to make the edited versions available to both Kasaan Haida descendants and others, including teachers and researchers.

Willard Jones, himself a Haida elder, headed the project. Dr. Jeane Breinig (Haida) and Eleanor Hadden (Haida, Willard's daughter) recorded audio and served as interviewers. As Media Specialist, Frederick Olsen, Jr. (Haida), created a half-hour video documentary.

For the production, elders offered their experiences of growing up in Kasaan with both historical information and interesting stories. They also shared some Haida words and phrases. One elder, Erma Lawrence, sang "How Great Thou Art" in Haida.

The generous monetary and in-kind donations by Kasaan Haida descendants made the project possible. We received additional support from Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Organized Village of Kasaan.

Conclusion

We successfully completed the project in 2002 and viewed the documentary during Kavilco's Annual Meeting on November 9, 2002. The original audio tapes of the interviews with the transcripts are housed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral Depository. In 2003, Jeane Breinig showed the documentary at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau.

Order Tape

VHS video tapes are available for $23.95 (includes shipping and handling).
Send your request to:

Kasaan Haida Heritage Foundation
c/o Jeane Breinig, Secretary/Treasurer
4910 Hartman Circle
Anchorage, AK 99507
or
jeane at gci.net†
†For functional email replace "at" with @ and remove all spaces

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